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COND 
Y  BOOK 
IGION 

COLSON 


BV  4571  .C7  1922 
Colson,  Elizabeth. 
A  second  primary  book  in 
religion 


MADONNA  AND  CHILD 


Wbt  gtringbon  &tltgiou!3  Cbucatton  QTtxtd 

Babib  &.  Botoncp,  (general  Cbttor 

WEEK-DAY  SCHOOL  SERIES  GEORGE  HERBERT  BETTS,  Editor 


A  Second  Primary  Book 
in  Religion 

BY      ^ 

ELIZABETH    COLSON 


«sa 


THE     ABINGDON     PRESS 

NEW  YORK  CINCINNATI 


Copyright,  1922,  by 

ELIZABETH   COLSON 

All  Rights  Reserved 


Printed  in  the  United  States  of  America 


The  Bible  text  used  in  this  volume  is  taken  from  the  American  Standard  Edition  of  the 
Revised  Bible,  copyright,  iooi,  by  Thomas  Nelson  &  Sons,  and  is  used  by  permission. 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

A  Note  of  Thanks 5 

Introductory 9 

lesson  I.     FRIENDLY  CHILDREN 

I.   A  Baby's  Friends 21 

II.   Jesus,  the  Friend  of  Children 29 

III.  A  Thoughtful  Friend 34 

IV.  The  Friends  We  Cannot  See 40 

V.   The  Friends  of  the  Birds 47 

VI.   Friends  Who  Care  for  Us 55 

VII.   Friendly  Behavior 60 

VIII.   Review 65 

II.     THANKFULNESS 

IX.   Singing  Praise  Unto  Our  God 69 

X.   Families  and  Friends 77 

XL   Our  Daily  Bread 83 

XII.   All  Manner  of  Precious  Fruits 89 

XIII.  Rain  for  the  Earth 94 

XIV.  "All  Things  Bright  and  Beautiful" 100 

XV.   Review 104 

III.     LOVE'S  LESSONS 

XVI.    Christmas  Plans 109 

XVII.   Carols  and  Pictures 115 

XVIII.   An  Angel's  Visit 123 

XIX.   The  Christmas  Story 128 

XX.   The  Visit  of  the  Wise  Men 133 

XXL   The  Flight  Into  Egypt 137 

XXII.   Christmas  Preparations — A  Review 140 

XXIII.  A  Service  for  Christmas  Eve 142 

XXIV.  Review 145 

IV.     THE  RELIGION  OF  WORK 

XXV.   A  Lesson  for  the  New  Year 149 

XXVI.   The  Boy  Jesus  in  Nazareth 158 

XXVII.   Jesus  of  Nazareth,  Who  Went  About  Doing  Good  ...  163 

XXVIII.   A  Faithful  Worker  Whose  Name  Was  Samuel 167 

XXIX.   Working  Willingly  With  Our  Hands 173 

XXX.   Preparing  for  a  Great  Work 183 


CONTENTS 


LESSON  PAGE 

XXXI.   Children  Working  for  Their  Friends 187 

XXXII.   Review 189 

V.  LESSONS  IN  LOYALTY 

XXXIII.  Loyalty  to  God 193 

XXXIV.  A  Boy  Who  Was  Loyal  to  His  King 199 

XXXV.   A  King  Who  Was  Loyal  to  His  People 202 

XXXVI.   A  Great  Procession 205 

XXXVII.   The  King  of  Glory 210 

XXXVIII.   Loyal  Citizens 213 

XXXIX.   The  Loyal  Child 217 

XL.   Review 222 

VI.  LEARNING  TO  OBEY 

XLI.   In  the  Garden  of  Eden 227 

XLII.   The  Children  of  Israel  Learning  to  Obey 232 

XLIII.   The  Children  of  Israel  Obey  and  Disobey 237 

XLIV.   The  Commandments 241 

XLV.   Honor  Thy  Father  and  Thy  Mother 244 

XLVI.   The  Whole  Law 249 

XLVII.   An  Obedient  Child 256 

XLVIII.   Review 262 

VII.     WONDER  AND  WORSHIP 

XLIX.   A  Wonderful  Journey  to  Jerusalem 265 

L.   The  Lesson  of  Easter 271 

LI.   The  Flowers  Appear  on  the  Earth 278 

LII.   The  Time  of  the  Singing  of  Birds 284 

LIII.   God's  Trees 291 

LIV.   When  We  Pray 298 

LV.   God's  Wonderful  World 304 

LVI.   Review 308 

VIII.     THE  HAPPY  CHILD 

LVII.   A  Lesson  in  Friendliness 3X3 

LVIII.   Thankfulness 3*5 

LIX.   How  to  Love  One  Another J19 

LX.   Learning  to  Work 321 

LXI.   Loyalty 323 

LXII.   The  Great  Lesson  of  Obedience - 324 

LXIII.   Worship  Through  Wonder 326 

LXIV.   Summer  Is  Here 328 

A  List  of  Books 339 


A  NOTE  OF  THANKS 

Grateful  acknowledgment  is  due  the  following  authors  and 
publishers  for  their  gracious  permission  to  reprint  from  their 
copyrighted  material  for  the  enrichment  of  this  book : 

The  Pilgrim  Press:  "Trot  Goes  Driving,"  "Another  Story 
about  Little  Trot,"  "God's  Other  Lads,"  "The  Lowly  King," 
and  "The  Story  of  Easter,"  from  The  Mayflower,  published 
and  copyrighted  by  the  Congregational  Publishing  Society. 
"The  Twins  of  Italy,"  "Then  and  Now,"  "Pluck,"  and  "Our 
Mothers,"  from  The  Pilgrim  Elementary  Teacher,  also  pub- 
lished and  copyrighted  by  the  Congregational  Publishing  So- 
ciety. An  extract  from  Seven  Laws  of  Teaching,  by  John  M. 
Gregory. 

Houghton  Mifflin  Company:  "The  Sparrows,"  by  Celia 
Thaxter;  lines  from  the  poems  of  Lucy  Larcom,  a  paragraph 
from  "When  the  King  Came,"  by  George  Hodges,  and  per- 
mission to  adapt  the  story  of  "Tada,"  from  "Gleanings  in 
Buddha-Fields,"  by  Lafcadio  Hearn.  These  selections  are  in- 
cluded in  this  text  by  permission  of  and  by  special  arrangement 
with  the  publishers. 

Missionary  Education  Movement:  "The  Magic  Carpet  of 
Balgiz,"  from  Near  East  Picture  Stories;  "The  Palm  Tree  Vil- 
lage," and  "The  Ranger,"  from  Friends  of  Ours. 

The  Macmillan  Company:  A  paragraph  from  The  Chil- 
dren's Treasury  of  Bible  Stories,  by  Mrs.  Herman  Gaskoin. 

American  Baptist  Publication  Society:  Permission  to  use 
diagrams  and  drawings. 

Frederick  A.  Stokes  Company:  A  poem  reprinted  by  per- 
mission from  For  Days  and  Days,  by  Annette  Wynne,  copy- 
righted, 19 19,  by  Frederick  A.  Stokes  Company.  Extract  re- 
printed by  permission  from  The  Secret  Garden,  by  Frances 


6  A  NOTE  OF  THANKS 

Hodgson  Burnett,  copyrighted,  191 1,  by  Frances  Hodgson 
Burnett. 

Morehouse  Publishing  Company:  A  poem  from  Christian 
Nurture,  Course  III. 

The  Congregational  Sunday  School  Extension  Society: 
"The  Gift  of  the  Shining  Stranger." 

The  Christian  Herald:  A  description  of  the  Japanese  game 
of  Lame  Chicken. 

Association  Press:  Quotations  from  A  Philosophy  of  Play, 
by  Luther  Gulick. 

Fleming  H.  Revell  Company:  An  extract  from  The  Au- 
tobiography of  John  G.  Paton. 

Charles  Scribner's  Sons:  Lines  from  Thoughts  for  Every- 
day Living,  by  Maltbie  D.  Babcock. 

Barnes  and  Noble:  A  Broom  Drill  from  The  Child  House- 
keeper. 

Caroline  Hazard,  for  extracts  from  A  Brief  Pilgrimage  in 
the  Holy  Land;  Mary  E.  Laing,  for  her  poem,  "Neighbors," 
from  My  Neighbors;  and  Lucy  Wheelock,  for  her  story, 
"The  Little  Acorn."  For  four  lines  from  Denis  A.  Mc- 
Carthy's Songs  of  Sunrise,  and  for  "Hagar,"  by  Richard  Bur- 
ton, from  Message  and  Melody,  published  by  The  Lothrop,  Lee 
&  Shepard  Company,  Boston.  Henry  van  Dyke  gives  us  lines 
from  Music  and  Other  Poems,  and  a  quotation  from  The 
Spirit  of  Christmas,  both  books  published  by  Charles  Scrib- 
ner's Sons.  Katherine  Lee  Bates,  for  "America  the  Beautiful," 
and  for  a  paragraph  written  by  Richard  Morse  Hodge  for  this 
book.  For  Dr.  Milton  S.  Littlefield's  permission  to  reprint 
from  his  Handivork  in  the  Sunday  School,  and  for  designs  by 
Marjorie  Clarke  and  Nan  F.  Weeks.  To  Harry  S.  Mason,  for 
harmonizing  and  arranging  the  thrush's  song,  and  W.  H.  Neid- 
linger  for  his  poem,  "Prayer."  Edith  Lovell  Thomas  allows 
the  use  of  the  words  of  songs  in  her  A  First  Book  in  Hymns 
and  Worship. 


A  NOTE  OF  THANKS  7 

We  appreciate  the  use  of  two  dramatizations  reprinted  from 
Training  in  Courtesy,  Bulletin  191 7,  No.  54,  Department  of  the 
Interior,  Bureau  of  Education,  Washington,  D.  C. 

The  author  of  "Gentle  Child  of  Nazareth"  is  not  known. 
We  are  told  that  for  many  years  the  Syrian  mothers  have 
taught  these  words  to  their  children  and  we  are  glad  to  give 
this  beautiful  translation. 


INTRODUCTORY 


INTRODUCTORY 

We  are  secretly  amused  when  the  children  tell  us  that  they 
are  "six  and  a  half,"  or  "seven  and  a  quarter"  years  old,  giving 
great  importance  to  the  fractions  of  years.  Perhaps,  however, 
if  we  who  are  older  grew,  advanced,  and  changed  as  much  in 
six  months  as  the  children  do,  it  would  seem  to  us  to  be  im- 
portant to  state  the  fractions  as  well  as  the  years  that  make 
our  ages. 

We  notice  these  changes  when  we  plan  and  grade  lessons  to 
meet  the  needs  of  seven-year-old  children,  for  the  little  six- 
year  old,  with  his  slight  experience,  his  fleeting  attention,  and 
dependent  ways,  is  gone.  There  has  been  a  noticeable  growth 
in  other  ways  besides  the  inches  that  have  been  added  to  the 
stature  of  the  little  child  you  greeted  a  year  ago.  One  can  quite 
easily  imagine  kissing  his  round  cheek  after  a  summer  of 
separation,  but  intuition  tells  one  (just  in  time !)  to  shake  hands 
with  the  seven-year-old  instead.  How  the  children  have  grown 
in  a  year!  We  notice  at  once  an  expansion  of  experience,  a 
greater  assurance,  a  fuller  grasp,  and  a  ready  response  to  the 
idea  of  happy,  interesting  work  and  play.  We  notice  also  an 
increase  in  the  power  of  memory.  The  desultory  and  rather 
illogical  memories  of  a  year  ago  are  stronger  and  more  reten- 
tive, and  as  memory  continues  to  grow  during  this  period  it 
should  be  cultivated  and  supplied  with  the  best  material.  Some 
of  the  best  things  ever  written  are  simple  in  their  perfection 
and  this  is  true  of  music  and  pictures. 

The  children's  contacts  in  the  home  and  the  school,  and  with 
the  world  at  large,  have  prepared  them,  for  understanding  les- 
sons that  teach  the  Christian  virtues.  They  are  imitative,  and 
suggestions  carried  out  largely  through  imitation — part  of 
which  is  unconscious,  much  of  it  dramatic,  and  all  of  it  pur- 

II 


12    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

posive — are  of  decided  educational  importance  for  establishing 
habits  of  proper  speech  and  conduct.  In  fact,  these  children  are 
in  a  stage  of  rapid  habit  formation  and  should  be  developing 
attitudes  that  will  lead  to  right  habits  and  actions.  For  this 
reason  all  of  the  material  included  in  these  lessons  emphatically 
calls  attention  to  what  is  right  and  good,  and  much  of  it  is 
repeated  again  and  again.  In  this  connection,  dramatization 
is  of  great  service,  and  is  most  acceptable  to  the  seven-year-old, 
as  he  is  still  very  active  physically  and  takes  great  pleasure  in 
imaginative  play.  The  dramatic  is  a  chief  interest  and  plays 
a  large  part  in  his  development.  Because  it  is  repetition  that 
causes  habits  to  form,  many  teachers  doubt  the  wisdom  of 
making  use,  in  the  dramatic  process,  of  stories  in  which  wrong 
acts  are  in  contrast  with  right.  May  it  not  be  true  that  con- 
trasts are  needed  to  show  vividly  the  beauty  of  truth  and  right? 
Often,  when  contrasts  are  properly  treated,  one  has  difficulty 
in  getting  children  who  will  take  the  negative  parts.  Some 
children  were  planning  to  play  the  story  of  "The  Good  Samari- 
tan" for  the  second  time.  Sentiment  was  strongly  in  favor  of 
the  kindly  acts  of  the  Samaritan,  and  of  the  dramatic  situation 
of  the  injured  man.  Two  boys  could  not  be  found  who  would 
take  the  ugly  parts  played  by  the  priest  and  the  Levite,  in  the 
story.  One  cannot  doubt  the  value  of  action,  in  the  formation 
of  habits  that  will  be  permanent  parts  of  a  child's  moral 
equipment. 

The  children  are  affectionate,  demonstrative,  and  responsive, 
although  less  willing  to  show  these  lovable  traits  as  frankly  as 
they  did  last  year. 

"Blessings  on  them!  they  in  me 
Move  a  kindly  sympathy, 
With  their  wishes,  hopes  and  fears, 
With  their  laughter  and  their  tears, 
With  their  wonder  so  intense, 
And  their  small  experience !" 


INTRODUCTORY  13 

The  Objective. — The  religious  need  of  very  young  children 
is  to  know  God  as  a  loving,  protecting,  heavenly  Father,  who 
sympathizes  with  little  children  and  understands  their  thoughts. 
In  this  second  primary  year,  to  that  concept  should  be  added  a 
response  to  God's  love  and  obedience  to  his  law.  The  children 
should  become  increasingly  conscious  of  their  relation  to  God 
and  to  God's  other  children  the  world  around.  There  should 
be,  at  this  time,  definite,  unmistakable  teaching  concerning 
right  and  truth. 

At  seven  children  can  form  habits  of  prayer,  and  thoughts 
can  be  trained.  Religion  can  be  identified  with  everyday  life 
in  a  very  positive  way  through  the  activities  and  the  service 
work  that  you  help  them  to  accomplish,  because  a  conscious- 
ness of  personal  responsibility  is  dawning  interestingly.  This 
new  dignity  is  much  enjoyed  and  provides  a  point  of  contact. 

As  the  work  of  the  year  progresses  watch  for  the  appearance 
of  the  spirit  of  helpfulness  and  understanding.  This  year,  in 
the  lives  of  these  children,  should  be  so  marked  as  to  be  remem- 
bered always  as  a  time  of  special  interest  in  the  things  the  Babe 
of  Bethlehem  came  to  teach. 

Methods  and  Materials. — The  story  method  is  delightful 
and  effective,  and  the  point  of  many  a  good  story  is  also  the 
point  of  many  an  important  lesson.  In  our  use  of  stories  we 
have  gone  to  the  greatest  book  of  all  for  much  of  our  ma- 
terial. We  are  told  by  those  who  know  that  the  Bible  is  the 
greatest  textbook  but  not  the  only  one,  so  you  will  find  stories 
that  are  religious  from  other  sources. 

The  impression  made  by  story  and  song  should  be  followed 
by  expressional  activities,  that  impulses  may  not  be  allowed  to 
die,  but  develop  into  habits  of  conduct  and  service.  Supple- 
menting the  stories  are  poems,  hymns,  pictures,  and  service 
work  of  various  types.  Comparatively  little  of  the  abundant 
good  material  available  can  be  given  here.  The  current  maga- 
zines of  religious  education  should  be  studied,  for  charming 


14     A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

and  usable  new  material  is  always  on  the  way.  Care  and  taste 
must  be  used  in  the  matter  of  selection,  however,  for  all  that 
is  published  is  not  good  enough  for  your  use  in  this  connection. 
We  need  to  remember  that  what  we  use  in  appealing  to  the  ears 
and  eyes  of  the  children  is  forming  taste,  so  that  nothing  short 
of  the  best  is  good  enough  to  set  before  them.  We  must  work 
constantly  toward  the  formation  of  high  ideals. 

"The  deepest  thing  a  teacher  does  is  to  form  taste.  But  all 
taste  grows  slowly,  by  unconscious  accretion.  The  Chinese 
money-changer  sets  his  apprentice  at  work  handling  good 
money  only.  For  ten  years  he  touches  nothing  else.  He  can 
then  detect  a  counterfeit  coin.  How  ?  Perhaps  he  cannot  tell 
how.  His  way  is  surer,  deeper.  He  feels  it.  He  has  taste.  So 
with  the  building  of  the  taste  for  good  books,  for  pictures,  for 
nature.  It  is  a  slow  process — many  a  book  to  be  absorbed, 
picture  seen  and  loved,  and  mountain  and  flower  and  sunset 
gazed  upon,  before  taste  is  formed. 

"And  the  taste  for  godliness,  for  religion,  is  no  exception. 
It  is  the  finest  and  rarest  of  all  tastes,  and  hence  is  the  slowest 
and  quietest  of  all  in  its  development. 

"But  did  you  ever  see,  in  the  hothouse,  shall  we  say,  of  the 
Sunday  school,  seed  sown,  harvest  reaped,  yes,  and  cakes  taken 
from  the  oven,  within  the  limits  of  a  single  half  hour?" — 
(From  Picture  Work,  by  Walter  Hervey.  Used  by  permis- 
sion.) 

The  Lessons. — The  plan  provides  for  two  one-hour  les- 
sons each  week  of  the  school  year.  Those  who  teach  once  a 
week  can  keep  the  children  for  a  longer  period  perhaps,  and 
take  the  best  from  two  lessons ;  or  such  lessons  may  be  omitted 
as  will  bring  the  celebrations  of  special  days  and  seasons  and 
the  reviews  at  the  right  time.  If  the  lessons  are  thoughtfully 
read  at  least  a  month  in  advance,  these  rearrangements  can 
easily  be  made  and  supplies  ordered. 

It  is  impossible  to  plan  definitely  for  all  climates  and  condi- 


INTRODUCTORY  15 

tions,  but  enough  material  is  given  to  provide  for  necessary  re- 
arrangements where  adaptation  is  required. 

Memory  Work. — The  ability  to  memorize  should  be  culti- 
vated. As  a  rule,  the  seven-year-old  mind  memorizes  easily 
and  with  eagerness  and  the  selections  have  been  made  with 
reference  to  the  interests  of  the  children.  The  text  need  not 
be  crowded  with  repetitions  concerning  the  advisability  of  con- 
stantly reviewing  the  memory  work.  We  are  becoming  more 
and  more  keenly  aware  of  the  importance  of  frequent  and  in- 
teresting reviews.  The  work  for  the  month  should  be  given 
as  a  whole  from  the  beginning,  for  the  stories  and  activities 
will  gradually  make  the  meanings  clear  and  account  for  the 
sentiments  expressed.  If  any  of  the  selections  seem  to  be  too 
long,  they  can  be  cut,  but  if  they  are  offered  to  the  children  as 
given  in  the  text,  the  child  who  memorizes  easily  will  have 
about  what  is  right  and  the  less  ready  minds  will  be  offered  an 
opportunity  to  get  all  that  they  can. 

Too  thorough  an  explanation  often  robs  a  beautiful  selection 
of  its  charm,  so  use  the  memory  work  as  a  means  of  developing 
imagination.  Simple  explanations  are  suggested  in  connection 
with  the  memory  work,  and  the  answers  to  the  children's  ques- 
tions will  add  what  is  necessary.  About  some  passages  of 
Scripture  there  is  little  to  say  and  much  to  be  felt.  There  can 
be  no  definitions  of  mystical  expressions  of  love,  delight,  awe 
or  reverence,  but  one  can  always  show  appreciation,  and  per- 
haps say — "I  wonder!"  To  help  a  child  to  wonder  by  giving 
him  a  wonderful  thought,  and  time  to  think,  is  religious  educa- 
tion, for  wonder  is  a  beautiful  part  of  praise. 

Plays  and  Games. — Above  all  else,  in  all  and  through  all 
that  you  give  in  this  course,  teach  religion.  Great  use  can  be 
made  of  plays  and  games,  in  teaching  the  meaning  of  the 
Golden  Rule,  and  for  practice  and  experience  in  preferring  one 
another  in  honor. 

Plato  had  much  to  say  about  the  educative  value  of  the  play 


16     A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

of  children.  In  the  Greece  of  his  day  all  art  was  thought  to  be 
rhythmic  and  harmonious.  The  Greek  thinkers  and  educators 
found  in  the  games  played  by  children  a  moral  harmony  for 
a  world  in  which  men  could  live  well  and  serve  as  they  should. 
This  seems  to  be  true  of  the  simple  games  that  we  enjoy  play- 
ing with  the  children,  for  obedience  to  law  is  a  part  of  moral 
harmony,  and  we  find  that  harmony,  or  the  need  for  it,  in  all 
games  that  are  worth  playing.  A  child  soon  learns  that  he  has 
the  power  to  make  or  mar  the  pleasure  of  the  whole  group,  and 
that  only  when  every  child  is  kind  and  merry  and  willing  to 
play  fair  is  the  game  worth  while. 

These  things  are  true  of  the  dramatizations,  even  the  simplest 
of  them — and  the  repetition  of  the  little  experiences  acted  is  a 
happy  way  of  forming  habits  of  consideration  and  helpfulness. 
To  be  educational,  a  game  or  play  should  be  faithfully  played 
with  all  rules  observed  and  obeyed. 

The  Offering. — We  would  not  be  worthy  of  being  called  co- 
workers with  God  if  we  did  not  help  the  children  to  give  gladly 
and  willingly.  The  offering  is  not  a  feature  of  each  lesson,  but 
there  should  be  frequent  demonstrations  of  how  any  money 
that  is  given  is  used,  and  discussions  about  why  people  give. 
There  might  also  be  a  bit  of  rejoicing  over  free-will  offerings. 
The  suggestions  given  here  and  there  in  the  text  about  the  use 
of  the  children's  offerings  are  very  elementary,  that  they  may 
see  how  the  money  is  spent,  as  in  the  case  where  all  go  to- 
gether to  buy  a  gift  or  material  for  gifts  to  be  sent,  or  better 
still,  taken,  to  a  child  or  grown-up  neighbor.  In  this  way  little 
projects  can  be  carried  out,  the  children  able  to  see  every  step, 
from  the  making  of  the  plan  to  the  thanks  expressed.  It  is 
possible  to  use  these  lessons  in  giving  to  advantage  only  when 
teachers  adapt  them  to  the  needs  and  opportunities  in  their 
own  environments.  It  is  a  good  thing  to  remember  the  mem- 
bers of  the  class  on  occasion,  and  sometimes  out  of  a  clear  sky, 
for  all  children  love  surprises,  and  also  it  is  a  way  for  them  to 


INTRODUCTORY  17 

learn  by  experience  the  pleasure  of  receiving.  Having  re- 
ceived, one  is  ready  for  the  wonderful  truth  that  it  is  still  bet- 
ter to  give.  The  offering  is  occasional  in  the  hope  that  it  may 
also  be  voluntary,  and  that  the  children  will  be  able  to  bring 
what  is  theirs  to  give.  Failing  a  regular  allowance,  gifts  of 
money  can  be  shared  and  money  can  be  earned  for  the  mite  box 
if  the  project  is  sufficiently  appealing.  In  this  way  the  habit 
of  giving  of  one's  own  can  be  formed  and  the  proverbial  penny 
taken  from  the  family  purse  with  mechanical  regularity 
avoided. 

Conditions  Favorable  to  Good  Work. — The  ideal  classroom 
is  large  and  light,  attractive  and  cheerful  in  coloring,  and 
well  ventilated.  There  should  be  a  hardwood  floor,  low  tables 
and  chairs,  a  blackboard,  shelves  or  a  cabinet,  and  a  piano. 
As  the  weeks  pass,  window  boxes,  plants,  and  bulletin  boards 
will  be  added  to  the  more  permanent  equipment,  bringing  the 
charm  of  the  workshop. 

Play  grounds,  roof  gardens,  school  yards,  near-by  parks, 
country  roads  and  fields  should  be  enjoyed  and  used  whenever 
it  is  possible.  Of  teaching  in  the  out-of-doors  Froebel  says, 
"The  things  of  nature  form  a  more  beautiful  ladder  between 
earth  and  heaven  than  that  seen  by  Jacob ;  not  a  one-sided  lad- 
der leading  to  one  place  but  in  all  directions.  Not  in  dreams 
alone  is  it  seen;  it  is  permanent — it  surrounds  us  on  all  sides." 

Public  libraries  can  supply  stories  and  pictures,  also  reading 
for  the  teacher.  If  the  public  library  cannot  be  reached,  ask 
in  the  name  of  the  children  the  privilege  of  borrowing  from 
the  libraries  in  private  homes  and  schools,  and  ministers' 
studies. 

Every  church  school  should  possess  a  collection  of  suitable 
pictures,  books,  and  other  materials  for  the  use  of  classes.  Per- 
haps your  needs  made  known  may  serve  as  a  stimulus  toward 
providing  equipment  of  this  kind. 

Ideal  equipments  are  not  common,  and  almost  every  teacher 


18     A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

must  substitute  what  she  can  have  for  what  she  should  have. 
But  the  teacher  who  is  privileged  to  teach  religion  should  not 
be  easily  satisfied  with  second  best  in  any  department  of  her 
work,  for  she  is  pledged  to  the  task  of  causing  the  spirit  of 
Jesus  Christ  to  find  room  in  a  world  of  men  and  women. 


I.   FRIENDLY  CHILDREN 

I.  A  Baby's  Friends. 
II.  Jesus,  the  Friend  of  Children. 

III.  A  Thoughtful  Friend. 

IV.  The  Friends  We  Cannot  See. 
V.  The  Friends  of  the  Birds. 

VI.  Friends  who  Care  for  Us. 
VII.  Friendly  Behavior. 
VIII.  Review. 

"What  is  holy  but  that  which  binds  many  souls  together?' 

— Goethe. 
The  Memory  Work: 

I  have  called  you  friends,  ...  I  chose  you. 

A  friend  loveth  at  all  times. 

Ye  are  my  friends,  if  ye  do  the  things  which  I  command  you. 

I  say  unto  you  my  friends,  Be  not  afraid. 


LESSON  I 
A  BABY'S  FRIENDS 

The  children  will  enjoy  a  few  minutes  of  free  play,  if  they 
have  come  to  you  for  this  hour  of  religious  instruction  di- 
rectly from  school.  Froebel  says  of  free  play  that  it  is  "just 
natural  life."  Because  they  are  free  the  children  will  express 
themselves  naturally,  and  later  you  will  be  able  to  tell  where 
their  interests  lie  and  how  much  of  your  teaching  they  have 
understood,  for  the  stories  and  games  will  be  played  again 
and  again. 

If  there  is  work  for  them  to  do  in  arranging  chairs  or  pre- 
paring material  for  the  lesson,  it  may  well  be  substituted  for 
the  free  play,  which  is  not  essential  and  need  not  be  given  a 
place,  each  time. 

Directed  play  interests,  teaches,  and  helps  children  to  know 
the  charm  there  is  in  working  in  groups. 

In  reading  the  lessons  through  before  beginning  to  teach 
them  you  will  find  that  the  programs  vary.  In  these  lessons 
in  friendliness  the  short  play  period  is  followed  by  the  story 
in  which  the  lesson  is  to  be  found,  and  later  brought  out  more 
fully  in  the  activities,  and  impressed  by  the  service  of  worship. 

The  service  has  been  placed  at  the  close,  for  when  the  chil- 
dren arrive  they  are  not  in  tune  for  quiet  thought.  The  story 
and  all  that  precedes  the  service  will  give  point  to  the  hymns 
and  reasons  for  the  prayer,  and  the  children  will  go  home  im- 
pressed by  everything  that  has  happened,  and  with  the  words 
of  the  benediction  in  their  ears. 

It  is  important  that  the  memory  work  for  the  month  be  re- 
peated at  every  lesson,  and  the  phrase  especially  brought  out 
by  the  story  dwelt  upon  each  time. 

21 


22     A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

When  the  review  lessons  come,  the  children  should  be  able 
to  repeat  the  memory  work,  the  prayer,  and  the  benediction. 
Reviews  should  take  place  constantly  whenever  there  is  a 
need  or  an  opportunity.  The  hymns  chosen  for  special  atten- 
tion in  connection  with  each  topic  are  worth  knowing  well, 
and  are  appropriate  for  use  at  all  times.  There  is  no  time 
when  it  is  not  a  good  thing  to  sing  hymns  of  thanksgiving, 
or  when  we  may  not  sing  of  the  beauty  and  wonder  of  the 
coming  of  Christ  to  live  on  the  earth. 

The  handwork  is  in  no  case  an  end  in  itself,  nor  are  you 
asked  to  teach  the  uses  of  material  or  the  control  of  muscles. 
The  hope  is  that  a  certain  proportion  of  the  expressional 
activities  planned  for  use  in  these  lessons  will  in  their  very 
nature  easily  be  carried  over  into  some  form  of  vital  expres- 
sion. Such  would  be  the  work  of  the  little  gifts,  made  and 
taken  into  the  children's  homes,  and  all  that  is  planned  for 
the  pleasure  of  others.  The  handwork  that  has  value  from 
the  standpoint  of  religious  education  is  that  which  involves 
the  construction  of  something  useful  and  interesting  for  one 
who  will  use  it. 

The  children  may  be  strangers  to  you  and  to  each  other  at 
this  first  time  of  coming  together,  and  for  that  reason  a  story 
familiar  to  many — perhaps  to  all — has  been  chosen  as  a  point 
of  contact.  Take  time  for  a  talk  about  the  work  that  you 
will  do  together.  Show  the  shelves  or  the  cabinet  where  the 
materials  are  to  be  kept  and  tell  about  the  interesting  collec- 
tions you  will  need  to  make.  If  you  have  read  all  of  the 
lessons  before  you  begin  to  teach,  you  will  have  a  great  deal 
to  say  that  will  be  very  interesting,  for  children  love  to  an- 
ticipate. 

You  should  have  ready  for  this  lesson  a  box  or  little  pail 
filled  with  pebbles  of  different  sizes  and  colors  and  also  some 
shells,  if  these  are  possible  in  your  locality.  Tell  of  ways  in 
which  shells,  seeds,  cones,  acorns  and  many  other  things  dear 


A  BABY'S  FRIENDS  23 

to  children  can  be  used.  Show  a  container  made  according 
to  the  directions  given  in  Lesson  II.  Promise  to  teach  the 
children  to  make  such  containers  to  hold  the  collections. 

When  you  have  talked  and  played  together  for  about  fifteen 
minutes,  propose  arranging  the  chairs  in  a  circle  and  prepare 
for  the  story. 

Story:  A  Baby's  Friends. 

A  little  baby  lay  asleep  in  a  basket.  The  basket  was  hidden 
among  the  grasses  that  grew  along  the  banks  of  a  great  river. 
The  little  waves  rocked  the  basket,  and  the  grasses  caught  it 
and  kept  it  from  floating  away,  out  where  the  water  was  deep. 
The  grasses  and  the  little  waves  made  the  soft  sounds  that 
hush  babies  to  sleep.  Sh-sh-  lap-lap — and  the  bees  hummed- 
hum-m-m — .  The  birds  made  quiet  little  sounds  in  their  throats 
as  birds  do  when  they  talk  together.  The  birds,  the  bees,  the 
waves,  and  the  grasses  all  rocked  and  hushed  the  baby,  so  he 
slept.  But  with  all  these  little  friends  to  care  for  him  the 
baby's  big  sister  was  caring  too.  She  stood  among  the  tall 
grasses  not  very  far  away,  watching  and  listening,  for  she 
wanted  to  feel  very  sure  that  her  dear  baby  brother  was  safe. 
The  sister's  name  was  Miriam.  The  baby's  home  was  just 
across  the  sunny,  hot  fields.  His  mother  was  there,  thinking 
about  him  and  feeling  very  lonely  because  he  was  not  with  her. 

By  this  time  you  all  know  that  this  is  the  story  of  Moses, 
and  that  I  read  it  in  the  Holy  Bible.  Now  I  will  tell  you  why 
the  baby  was  among  the  grasses  by  the  river  on  that  warm, 
bright  day  so  long  ago. 

In  those  days  the  people  whom  we  call  the  Children  of 
Israel  were  living  in  Egypt,  but  Egypt  was  not  their  home. 
They  had  no  country  that  was  theirs,  as  America  is  our  coun- 
try, and  they  hoped  and  hoped  that  some  day  God  would  help 
them  to  find  a  home.  The  Children  of  Israel  were  very  unhappy 
in  Egypt.     The  king  of  Egypt  was  unkind  and  unfriendly. 


24    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

He  made  the  Children  of  Israel  work  very  hard.  Of  course 
the  Children  of  Israel  could  not  love  such  a  king.  As  the  king 
stood  watching  them  while  they  worked  in  the  hot  sun  he 
saw  that  there  were  a  great  many  of  them,  and  he  began  to 
feel  afraid  of  the  Children  of  Israel.  What  if  they  should 
rise  up  and  make  war  against  him !  They  would  be  sure  to 
win  the  battles,  for  there  were  so  many  of  them  and  they  were 
very  strong.  Then  the  king  thought  of  the  babies,  and  he 
remembered  that  babies  grow  up,  and  that  some  day  these 
babies  would  be  brave  soldiers.  He  was  afraid,  even  of  the 
babies!  He  said  to  his  helpers,  "Every  baby  boy  that  comes 
to  a  Hebrew  family — ye  shall  cast  into  the  river." 

How  sad  and  frightened  the  mothers  must  have  been !  They 
thought  of  every  good  hiding  place  where  they  could  put 
their  little  boys.  The  baby  whose  mother  put  him  down 
among  the  grasses  by  the  river  thought  that  she  had  found  a 
good  place,  for  no  one  would  expect  to  find  a  baby  there. 
She  certainly  had  found  a  pleasant  place  for  her  baby,  and 
the  basket  bed  that  she  had  made  was  very  comfortable.  And 
Miriam,  the  baby's  sister,  stood  afar  off  to  know  what  would 
be  done  to  him. 

After  a  while  the  princess  came  walking  by  the  river  and 
her  friends  were  walking  with  her.  The  princess  was  the 
daughter  of  the  king  and  she  lived  in  a  beautiful  palace. 
Miriam  could  hear  the  princess  talk  and  laugh,  and  the  prin- 
cess' friends  talked  and  laughed  too.  They  came  nearer  and 
nearer  the  place  where  the  baby  was  hidden,  and  their  voices 
woke  the  baby!  How  he  cried!  He  was  frightened  when 
he  opened  his  eyes  and  saw  the  sky  and  the  waving  grasses. 
He  wanted  to  see  his  mother  looking  down  at  him. 

The  princess  heard  the  baby  cry,  and  her  friends  parted  the 
tall  grass,  and  looked  and  looked,  and  then  they  found  him! 
When  the  princess  saw  the  little  frightened  face  all  wet  with 
tears  she  loved  the  baby  and  longed  to  make  him  safe  and 


A  BABY'S  FRIENDS  25 

happy.  "This  is  one  of  the  Hebrew  children,"  she  said,  and 
she  was  sad,  for  she  knew  that  her  father  the  king  did  not 
want  the  Hebrew  babies  to  live. 

Miriam  was  creeping  nearer  and  nearer,  and  when  she  saw 
the  princess  looking  in  such  a  kind,  friendly  way  at  the  baby, 
she  came  out  from  among  the  tall  grasses  and  stood  watching 
as  little  girls  do.  When  Miriam  saw  that  the  princess  wanted 
the  baby  to  grow  up  to  be  a  good  man,  but  that  she  did  not 
dare  to  take  him  to  live  in  the  palace  with  the  king,  she  said, 
"Shall  I  go  and  call  thee  a  nurse  of  the  Hebrew  women  that 
she  may  care  for  him,  for  thee?"  and  the  princess  said,  "Go." 
Away  Miriam  ran,  across  the  grass  in  the  hot  sun,  to  call  her 
mother.  Miriam  and  her  mother  were  glad  and  excited  as 
they  went  back  to  the  river  together.  They  felt  sure  that  the 
baby  was  safe  if  the  princess  was  his  friend,  and  so  he  was. 
When  the  princess  saw  the  baby's  mother  she  said,  "Take  this 
child  away  and  care  for  him,  and  I  will  give  thee  wages." 
So  the  baby's  own  mother  carried  him  home  across  the  fields, 
and  the  princess  and  her  friends  walked  on.  As  they  walked 
they  talked  of  other  things,  but  the  princess  thought  about 
the  baby.  She  remembered  his  little  frightened  face  and  his 
big  eyes  filled  with  tears,  and  she  said,  "When  he  is  big 
enough  I  will  take  him  to  the  palace  to  live,  and  we  will  be 
friends,  and  love  each  other  very  much.  I  will  name  him 
'Drawn  from  the  Water.'  "  And  the  word  that  she  spoke 
when  she  said,  "Drawn  from  the  water,"  was  "Moses,"  for 
the  princess  and  all  of  the  people  in  Egypt  spoke  a  language 
that  we  could  not  understand. 

So  Moses  grew,  and  learned  to  talk  and  to  walk,  and  when 
he  was  a  big  boy  he  went  to  the  palace  to  live  with  the  princess. 

A  Talk: 

The  baby  in  the  story  had  a  great  many  friends.  The  tall 
grasses,  the  little  waves,  the  bees  and  the  birds  were  friendly 


26    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

to  him.  The  princess  and  the  maidens  who  walked  to  the 
river  with  her  were  his  friends  as  soon  as  they  saw  that  he 
needed  friends.  Miriam  was  a  good  friend,  and  the  baby's 
mother  was  a  very  good  friend.  But  the  best  Friend  of  all 
children  is  the  heavenly  Father,  who  took  care  of  the  baby  that 
day. 

Long  years  after  that  hot  day  by  the  river  down  in  Egypt, 
Jesus  called  us  his  friends.  He  said,  "I  have  called  you 
friends."  He  meant  that  we  are  his  friends  if  we  do  the 
things  that  he  asks  us  to  do.  One  of  the  things  that  he  tells 
us  to  do  is,  "Love  one  another."  He  asks  us  to  be  friendly 
at  all  times,  even  when  we  do  not  feel  like  being  friendly. 

Activity: 

Dramatize  the  song  Baby  Moses  in  the  following  way: 
Have  a  child  ask  the  questions,  making  believe  that  she  holds 
a  little  baby  in  her  arms.  The  others  answer,  acting  the  part, 
first,  of  the  water  by  showing  the  motion  of  the  waves  in  any 
way  the  children  think  best  expresses  it.  Tall  rushes  are 
easily  shown  by  raised  arms  that  wave  gracefully  as  the  body 
sways.  Miriam's  response  should  be  sung  by  one  child,  and 
all  may  sing  softly  the  last  two  lines,  "Silently  sleep,  baby, 
sweetly  sleep,  for  God  will  take  care  of  you."  As  the  song 
is  finished  the  child  who  holds  the  baby  may  lay  him  at  the 
feet  of  the  children  as  they  stand  in  a  row,  ready  to  care 
for  him. 

Song:     Baby  Moses  (A  First  Book  in  Hymns  and  Worship, 
No.  107. 

"Who  will  take  little  baby? 
'I,'  said  the  water  deep. 
'Baby  may  float  in  his  cradle  boat 
And  I  shall  rock  him  to  sleep.' 


A  BABY'S  FRIENDS  27 

"Who  will  hide  little  baby? 
'We,'  said  the  rushes  tall. 
'Safely  we'll  hide  the  baby  inside 
That  nobody  sees  him  at  all.' 

"Who  will  watch  little  baby? 
Miriam  answers  'I. 
I'm  sure  to  hear  if  the  baby  dear 
Gives  even  a  tiny,  soft  cry.' 

"Who  will  guard  little  baby 
Out  on  the  water  blue? 
Silently  sleep,  baby,  safely  sleep, 
For  God  will  take  care  of  you." 

(The  Sunday  School  Union,  London,  owners  of  copyright 
of  poem.) 

Service  of  Worship: 

In  preparing  for  this  service  ask  the  children  to  arrange 
the  chairs  either  in  a  circle  or  in  rows,  and  as  the  chimes 
(see  Lesson  VIII)  are  played  on  the  piano,  take  your  places. 

Hymn  :  /  Would  Like  to  Have  Been  with  Him  Then  (A 
First  Book  in  Hymns  and  Worship). 

Prayer:  Jesus,  gentle  friend  of  all  children  everywhere, 
we  are  glad  that  you  called  us  your  friends.  Help  us  to  do 
friendly  things  that  will  make  our  friends  happy.  Bless  the 
friends  we  love  and  all  who  love  us.    Amen. 

Scripture  Reading — The  Memory  Work: 

I  have  called  you  friends,  ...  I  chose  you. 

A  friend  loveth  at  all  times. 

Ye  are  my  friends,  if  ye  do  the  things  which  I  command  you. 

I  say  unto  you  my  friends,  Be  not  afraid. 


28    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

Hymn:  Baby  Moses  (or  a  hymn  remembered  from  last 
year). 

Benediction  (standing  with  heads  bowed)  :  Dear  Lord 
Jesus,  be  with  us,  every  one,  until  we  meet  again.    Amen. 

Additional  Material:  I.  "The  Littlest  Baby's  Neighbors," 
in  Little  Neighbor  Picture  Stories.  (Any  of  the  stories  in 
this  series  of  six  are  good  friendship  stories,  and  the  pictures 
are  large  for  wall  use.)  2.  "Moses  in  the  Bulrushes,"  in 
Primary  Method  in  the  Church  School,  by  Alberta  Munkres. 
(This  is  a  dramatization  of  the  story.) 


LESSON  II 

JESUS,  THE  FRIEND  OF  CHILDREN 

Place  the  box  of  pebbles  and  shells  on  the  table  to  be 
played  with  and  sorted  by  the  children.  As  this  is  the  short 
free-play  period  they  may  do  as  they  please,  but  if  they  simply 
waste  the  time,  either  set  them  to  work  or  go  on  with  the  di- 
rected play. 

Directed  Play: 

Review  the  song  Baby  Moses  with  motions  as  it  was  sung 
at  the  last  lesson. 

The  children  have  a  game  which  they  call  "Statuary." 
"Making  Pictures"  is  another  and  a  better  name  for  the  game, 
as  we  will  play  it.  The  children  take  positions  representing 
characters  in  a  well  known  story — to-day  it  will  be  "A  Baby's 
Friends."  Ask  one  child  to  pose,  and  the  rest  should  form 
an  attentive  audience  and  guess  the  character  portrayed.  The 
story  is  rich  in  such  possibilities — you  have  a  little  girl  in 
hiding,  a  mother,  a  hated  king,  a  beautiful  princess,  all  in 
dramatic  situations. 

Story:  Jesus,  the  Friend  of  Children. 

One  day  long  ago,  some  children  were  playing  in  the  streets 
of  a  city.  After  a  while  they  began  to  quarrel.  One  of  the 
children  did  not  play  fair  and  that  made  the  others  angry. 
Their  voices  were  loud  and  their  faces  were  cross.  They  struck 
each  other  and  one  boy  fell  in  the  dust. 

While  they  were  quarreling  Jesus  and  his  friends  turned  into 
that  street  and  walked  toward  the  children.  When  the  chil- 
dren looked  at  Jesus'  kind  face  they  were  ashamed.     They 

29 


3o    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

knew,  now  that  they  had  seen  Jesus,  that  it  was  wicked  and 
very  silly  to  fight.  They  could  not  be  rude  when  they  knew 
that  Jesus  was  near  and  could  see  what  they  were  doing.  The 
children  stood  and  looked  as  long  as  they  could  see  him,  for 
they  knew  that  Jesus  of  Nazareth  had  passed  by.  They  had 
heard  that  Jesus  of  Nazareth  went  about  doing  good. 

As  Jesus  and  his  friends  walked,  that  day,  mothers  came  out 
of  their  houses  and  asked  Jesus  to  bless  the  babies  they  held 
out  to  him.  When  the  mothers  saw  Jesus  coming  they  knew 
that  he  was  the  great  friend  of  little  children  and  they  cared 
very  much  to  have  him  bless  their  babies. 

Great  numbers  of  people  followed  Jesus,  and  he  made  those 
that  were  sick  well,  and  the  blind  people  he  made  to  see. 
People  who  had  questions  about  things  they  could  not  under- 
stand came  and  talked  with  Jesus,  and  he  answered  them  and 
was  patient  and  very  kind.  As  Jesus  was  talking  to  these 
people  and  others  were  crowding  around  to  hear  what  he  said, 
more  children  were  brought  to  him  to  be  blessed.  When  the 
friends  who  walked  with  Jesus  as  he  went  about  doing  good 
saw  the  children  and  their  mothers  coming  they  hurried  toward 
them  and  said :  "Jesus  is  talking  of  very  important  matters 
and  he  is  tired.  Take  the  children  away  that  he  may  not  be 
disturbed  by  them." 

How  disappointed  they  were!  They  could  not  bear  to 
turn  away,  and  as  they  lingered  just  a  minute,  they  heard 
Jesus  say,  "Let  the  little  children  come  unto  me,  and  forbid 
them  not." 

Then  the  people  moved  aside  and  made  a  path  in  the  crowd 
for  the  children.  They  ran  to  him,  and  he  took  the  littlest 
ones  in  his  arms  and  blessed  them.  He  talked  with  them,  and 
they  gave  him  presents  they  had  brought  for  him.  Some  had 
gathered  flowers  as  they  came.  Some  of  the  children  may 
have  brought  the  things  they  loved  the  most  to  give  to  Jesus. 
Perhaps  a  boy  brought  his  pet  dove.     Some  child  may  have 


JESUS,  THE  FRIEND  OF  CHILDREN        31 

brought  a  bright,  beautiful  shell  from  the  Red  Sea.  They 
must  have  been  glad  to  have  beautiful  things  to  give  to  Jesus. 
Jesus  was  glad  that  the  children  brought  the  things  they  liked 
best  to  him. 

I  hope  they  never  forgot  the  words  that  Jesus  said  to  them. 
They  must  have  talked  all  the  rest  of  their  lives  about  the 
day  when  their  mothers  took  them  to  see  Jesus.  No  matter 
where  they  were  or  what  they  were  doing  they  remembered 
that  they  were  the  children  whom  Jesus  blessed.  They  knew 
that  he  had  taken  them  in  his  arms  and  held  their  busy  little 
hands  quietly  in  his.  It  seems  as  though  those  children  must 
have  been  helpful  and  loving,  always. 

A  Talk: 

Show  a  picture  of  Christ  blessing  little  children,  and  also 
"The  Hope  of  the  World,"  artist,  Harold  Copping — both 
pictures  to  be  found  in  the  picture  set  which  supplements  A 
First  Primary  Book  in  Religion.    Procurable  elsewhere  as  well. 

As  you  show  the  pictures  talk  about  them  in  some  such  way 
as  this: 

Perhaps  you  have  seen  these  pictures  before,  but  we  love  to 
look  at  them  again  and  again.  This  one  (Christ  blessing 
little  children)  was  painted  by  a  man  who  loved  Jesus.  He 
wanted  to  show  us  how  he  thought  Jesus  must  have  looked, 
for,  of  course,  he  never  saw  Jesus.  It  is  a  picture  of  the  story 
that  I  have  just  told  you.  (Allow  the  children  to  study  the 
picture  and  comment  upon  it.)  This  picture  ("The  Hope  of 
the  World")  was  painted  by  a  man  who  loves  Jesus  too.  Of 
course  neither  of  these  men  knew  just  how  Jesus  looked,  but 
they  painted  what  they  imagined.  Do  you  think  he  may  have 
looked  like  either  of  these  pictures?  If  you  could  paint  very 
beautiful  pictures,  would  you  try  to  show  us  what  you  thought 
he  was  like?  A  great  many  artists  who  loved  Jesus  have 
painted  pictures  of  him. 


32    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

This  picture  ("The  Hope  of  the  World")  shows  us  that 
children  all  over  the  great  round  world  are  friends  whom  Jesus 
loves.  Can  you  see  a  child  from  China?  from  Africa?  from 
the  lovely  green  islands  of  the  sea?  Is  there  a  child  from 
America  there?    Jesus  loves  every  one. 

Activity: 

After  marching  for  a  few  minutes  go  to  the  table  to  make 
containers  for  collections  and  materials.  Explain  that  you 
will  want  different  materials  for  making  gifts  for  friends 
and  that  you  will  keep  them  in  these  boxes.  Give  each  child 
a  square  of  heavy  manila  paper  ioxio  inches.  A  container 
such  as  many  grocers  use,  unpinned  and  unfolded  will  give 
you  a  pattern,  or  the  directions  given  here  can  be  followed. 
Fold  the  square  as  indicated  in  the  diagram.  Fold  up  the 
four  sides  and  fold  the  corners  back,  pinning  them  to  the  sides 
of  the  box  with  paper  fasteners. 

You  will  need  labels  for  the  containers,  and  the  children 
may  cut  them  from  tinted  paper  on  ruled  or  folded  lines. 
They  should  be  oblong  and  about  3  inches  long.  Have 
"Pebbles"  or  "Shells"  carefully  written  on  one  of  the  labels 
and  paste  it  on  the  side  of  the  container.  Then  put  the  prettiest 
of  the  pebbles  in  and  stand  it  in  its  place  on  the  shelf.  Put  the 
other  containers  on  the  shelf,  ready  to  be  labeled  and  used 
when  you  need  them.  There  will  be  all  sorts  of  small  things  to 
be  kept  in  order  and  the  containers  will  be  very  useful. 

If  there  is  time,  each  child  may  make  a  label  to  take  home, 
writing  on  it  "Tea"  or  "Rice"  or  "Sugar." 

Service  of  Worship : 

Hymn:  /  Should  Like  to  Have  Been  With  Him  Then 
(A  First  Book  in  Hymns  and  Worship.     No.  27). 

Scripture  Reading  :    The  Memory  Work. 


JESUS,  THE  FRIEND  OF  CHILDREN        33 


"I  think  when  I  read  that  sweet  story  of  old, 
When  Jesus  was  here  among  men, 
How  he  called  little  children  as  lambs  to  his  fold, 
I  should  like  to  have  been  with  him  then. 

"I  wish  that  his  hands  had  been  placed  on  my  head, 
That  his  arm  had  been  thrown  around  me ; 
And  that  I  might  have  seen  his  kind  look  when  he  said, 
'Let  the  little  ones  come  unto  me !' " 

Prayer  (see  Lesson  I). 

Hymn:    /  Should  Like  to  Have  Been  With  Him  Then. 

Benediction  :  Dear  Lord  Jesus,  be  with  us  until  we  meet 
again.    Amen. 

Additional  Material:  Sing  or  read  to  the  children  "The 
Master  Has  Come  Over  Jordan"  (Songs  for  Little  People, 
No.  20). 


r — 1 **: 1 — 

.<_.i.-.^...L.:-: 

\    !    /     \    1    / 


LESSON  III 

A  THOUGHTFUL  FRIEND 

If  the  children  do  not  enter  into  some  game  or  play  with 
spirit,  have  them  gather  around  the  piano  to  sing.  Sing  any 
of  the  songs  asked  for  if  at  all  appropriate,  and  find  out  which 
songs  are  liked  best  and  why. 

Directed  Play: 

Prepare  for  the  little  dramatization  of  street  scenes  that 
constitutes  the  activity  for  this  lesson  in  some  such  way  as 
the  following: 

We  have  learned  what  Jesus  said  about  friends,  and  we  will 
know  the  verses  better  as  we  have  stories  and  plays  that  tell 
about  them.  To-day  we  will  think  about  the  verse,  "A  friend 
loveth  at  all  times."  What  does  "at  all  times"  mean  ?  Always, 
no  matter  where  you  are  or  what  is  going  on.  It  means  to 
show  that  we  love  by  doing  helpful  things.  That  is  the  way 
in  which  Jesus  showed  his  love.  He  cured  his  friends  when 
they  were  sick,  and  when  they  were  blind  he  made  them  see. 
When  he  was  a  little  boy  only  seven  years  old  he  showed  his 
love  for  his  mother  and  the  other  children,  and  for  Joseph,  too, 
by  helping  them  in  any  way  that  he  could.  Shall  we  play  a 
game  of  helping?  See  if  you  can  think  of  helpful  things  to 
do.  (Rearrange  the  chairs  or  do  some  work  about  the  room, 
and  if  nobody  runs  to  help  you  say:  "How  heavy  these  chairs 
are !  It  takes  a  long  time  to  arrange  so  many.  It  would  make 
it  very  easy  if  my  friends  helped  me."  When  offers  of  as- 
sistance have  been  graciously  accepted  say,  "A  friend  loveth 
at  all  times.") 

If  you  are  putting  interest  and  enthusiasm  into  these  lessons, 

34 


A  THOUGHTFUL  FRIEND  35 

you  are  already  much  admired  by  the  children,  and  the  courtesy 
of  your  manner  in  acknowledging  offers  of  help  and  in  all 
that  you  do  and  say  is  being  imitated,  at  home  and  elsewhere. 
When  your  room  is  ready,  blindfold  a  child  and  ask  an- 
other to  lead  her  to  you.  Ask  some  one  to  lead  her  gently  to 
her  chair,  where  she  will  be  ready  for  the  story. 

Story:  Little  Trot. 

Little  Trot  lived  with  his  mother  and  father  in  a  white 
house  near  the  sea.  Trot's  home  was  in  France,  and  probably 
you  do  not  know  this  story  about  him,  so  here  it  is. 

Trot  went,  one  day,  to  lunch  with  Madame  de  Treau.  Her 
house  was  brown,  with  two  towers.  It  was  built  on  a  rock 
that  jutted  out  into  the  sea.  The  waves  sparkled  in  the  sun- 
shine, and  hundreds  of  gray  and  white  seagulls  rested  on  the 
waves,  or  sailed  like  airplanes  through  the  air.  Madame  de 
Treau  had  a  pretty  garden  behind  the  brown  house.  It  was 
a  beautiful  place,  but  Madame  de  Treau  could  see  none  of 
these  things,  for  she  was  blind. 

When  Trot  reached  Madame  de  Treau's  house  he  found 
her  sitting  in  her  great  armchair.  She  was  all  alone.  When 
lunch  time  came  Trot  took  Madame  de  Treau's  hand  and  led 
her  to  the  dining  room.  He  told  her  all  sorts  of  things,  as  they 
sat  at  lunch.  He  told  her  about  the  spray  the  waves  had 
thrown  in  his  face  as  he  walked  on  the  cliff.  He  told  her  about 
the  bit  of  fish  that  would  not  stay  on  his  fork,  and  even  about 
a  spot  of  gravy  that  he  dropped  on  the  cloth.  That  made 
Madame  de  Treau  laugh. 

After  lunch  the  big  black  horse  brought  the  carriage  to  the 
door,  and  Madame  de  Treau  and  Trot  went  for  a  drive.  It 
was  great  fun  to  drive  along  that  narrow  road  by  the  sea. 
The  sky  and  the  ocean  were  blue,  except  where  the  sun  turned 
the  waves  to  gold.  Trot  looked  at  Madame  de  Treau.  Her 
eyes  were  closed.    She  could  not  see  how  blue  it  was. 


36    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

"Is  it  pretty  over  there  to-day,  Trot?"  she  asked. 

"Well,  rather  pretty,  Madame,"  Trot  answered. 

"Only  rather  pretty,  Trot?"  and  Madame  looked  surprised. 

Trot  thought  that  Madame  de  Treau  would  be  very  sad,  if 
she  knew  how  very,  very  pretty  it  was,  when  she  could  not 
see  it.    "It  is  prettier  in  heaven,  I  think,"  he  said  at  last. 

The  cliff  was  so  high  and  so  red  that  Trot  could  not  help 
saying  so.  Some  of  the  rocks  looked  like  animals  out  of  a 
fairy  book.  They  passed  a  little  house  that  might  have  been 
Hop-o'-my-Thumb's  home.  Trot  bounced  up  and  down  be- 
cause he  was  so  happy.  His  eyes  were  so  sharp  that  he  could 
see  everything. 

Then  he  remembered.  It  was  not  fair  that  he  should  see 
everything,  and  that  Madame  de  Treau  should  see  nothing. 
He  thought  of  a  fine  plan.  He  shut  his  eyes  and  put  his  hands 
over  them  to  keep  them  shut.  Madame  de  Treau  wondered 
why  he  was  so  still.  She  laid  her  soft  hand  on  his  cheek  to  pet 
him,  and  found  Trot's  hands  hiding  his  eyes. 

"Come,  Trot,"  she  said,  "tell  me  all  that  you  see.  That  will 
be  almost  as  though  I  saw  it  all,  myself." 

Down  came  Trot's  hands.  He  told  Madame  de  Treau  about 
some  great  rocks  that  they  passed. 

"They  look  like  mushrooms,  don't  you  think  so,  Trot?" 
said  Madame,  for  she  remembered. 

Trot  counted  the  sea-gulls  and  Madame  de  Treau  said  she 
knew  just  how  they  looked,  resting  and  rocking  on  the  blue 
and  gold  waves. 

When  the  sun  was  going  down  into  the  sea  the  black  horse 
drove  through  the  gate  of  Trot's  garden,  and  stopped  at  the 
door  of  his  home. 

Madame  de  Treau  said,  "Little  Trot,  thank  you  for  lending 
me  your  eyes." 

"My  eyes  are  very  sharp,  and  you  may  borrow  them  often," 
said  Trot. 


A  THOUGHTFUL  FRIEND  37 

Then  they  both  laughed  and  said  good  night. 

(Reprinted  from  The  Mayflower,  by  permission  of  the 

Pilgrim  Press.) 
(From  Mon  Petit  Trot,  by  A.  Lichtenberger.    Translated 
and  adapted.) 
After  the  story  read — 

"Praise  to  God  for  things  we  see, 
The  growing  flower,  the  waving  tree, 
Our  mother's  face,  the  bright  blue  sky, 
Where  birds  and  clouds  come  floating  by — 
Praise  to  God  for  seeing." 

(Hettie  Lee.) 
Activity: 

A  dramatization  of  street  scenes.  The  street  can  be  indi- 
cated by  rows  of  chairs  or  a  seam  in  carpet  or  matting.  A 
board  floor  can  be  marked  with  chalk,  and  a  cross  mark  will 
serve  for  a  crossing.  Station  children  at  both  ends  of  the 
street.  The  boys  should  have  their  hats  and  the  girls  may 
carry  umbrellas  and  bundles,  wearing  coats  and  hats  or  any- 
thing that  makes  the  play  seem  more  real.  Of  course  the 
children's  own  names  will  be  used. 

Scene  I 

(A  boy  starts  from  one  end  of  the  street,  as  a  girl  starts 
from  the  other  end.  They  meet  as  friends,  the  boy  removes 
his  hat.) 

Girl:     How  do  you  do,  John? 

Boy:     How  are  you,  Jane? 

(They  pass  on.) 

Scene  II 

(A  small  girl  starts  from  one  end  of  the  street  carrying  a 
large  heavy  bundle.    A  boy  starts,  catching  up  with  her. ) 


38     A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

Boy  :  Good  morning,  Mary ;  that  is  a  heavy  bundle.  May 
I  carry  it  to  the  corner  for  you  ? 

Girl  :  Thank  you  very  much,  George.  It  is  a  heavy  bundle 
and  I  would  be  glad  to  have  you  help  me  with  it. 

(  The  boy  takes  the  bundle  and  when  they  reach  the  crossing 
he  gives  it  back  to  the  girl,  lifts  his  hat  and  they  part,  walking 
in  opposite  directions.) 

Girl  (calling  back  and  waving  her  hand)  :  Thank  you, 
George.     Good-by ! 

Boy  (waving  his  hat)  :     You  are  welcome,  Mary.  Good  by ! 

Scene  III 

(A  boy  with  bandaged  eyes  starts  from  one  end  of  the  street 
feeling  his  way.    A  second  boy  meets  him.) 

First  Boy  :  Hello  there !  Will  you  please  tell  me  how  far 
I  am  from  the  crossing? 

Second  Boy:  Not  very  far.  I'll  walk  with  you  and  we 
will  cross  together. 

First  Boy:  That  will  be  fine,  for,  of  course,  I  cannot  tell 
how  near  the  cars  are  or  how  fast  they  are  coming. 

{As  the  boys  reach  the  crossing  arm  in  arm  a  child  runs 
by  ringing  a  bell.  Another  child  comes  from  the  other  direc- 
tion imitating  the  honk  of  an  automobile.  Then  come  two 
horses.  The  boys  wait,  and  when  the  "cars"  have  passed,  they 
cross  the  street.) 

First  Boy:     Thank  you  ever  so  much. 

Second  Boy:  That's  all  right.  I  will  lend  you  my  eyes 
whenever  you  need  them ! 

Other  scenes  can  be  devised  and  the  children  can  "make 
them  up,"  or  bring  the  things  they  see  in  the  street,  for  dis- 
cussion and  dramatization  later,  as  this  is  only  a  beginning. 
Arrange  so  that  each  child  has  a  part.  The  scenes  will  take 
only  a  minute  or  two  and  should  be  repeated  several  times,  the 
parts  taken  by  different  children. 


A  THOUGHTFUL  FRIEND  39 

Service  of  Worship: 

Music,  played  more  and  more  softly  as  the  children  come 
to  order. 

Hymn  :     /  Should  Like  to  Have  Been  With  Him  Then. 

Scripture  Reading:     The  Memory  Work  for  the  month 
repeated  by  the  children.    Read  aloud  Mark  10.  46-52. 

Poem  :  Praise  to  God  for  Seeing.  (Read  earlier  in  the 
lesson  and  again  here.) 

Prayer:     The  Lord's  Prayer. 

Hymn:     (Chosen  by  the  children). 

Benediction  :  Dear  Lord  Jesus,  be  with  us  every  one 
until  we  meet  again.    Amen. 

"Children  should  be  taught  manners  under  emotional  stimu- 
lus. To  bid  a  child  to  shake  hands  in  order  to  be  'polite' 
appeals  to  no  instinctive  want.  Children  do  not  think  in  ab- 
stract terms.  'Politeness'  is  a  goal  for  adults,  because  they 
have  had  the  experience  to  want  to  be  gentlemanly  and  lady- 
like for  urgent  reasons.  The  word  does  tap  their  emotions. 
Call  a  child  into  the  parlor  to  shake  hands  with  the  lady  in 
order  to  be  'friendly,'  and  you  are  appealing  to  a  want,  the 
gratification  of  which  gives  him  more  or  less  pleasure.  It  is, 
moreover,  a  wish,  more  important  to  develop  in  him  than  any 
other." 

(Richard  Morse  Hodge.) 


LESSON  IV 
THE  FRIENDS  WE  CANNOT  SEE 

We  never  see  many  of  the  people  whose  daily  tasks  provide 
the  comforts  and  luxuries  of  life  for  us.  We  seldom  think  of 
them,  and  we  know  very  little  about  them.  They  are  certainly 
to  be  included  among  our  friends,  and  this  will  be  a  mission- 
ary lesson. 

If  dates  are  served  as  suggested,  ask  the  dealer  of  whom 
you  buy  them  to  give  you  a  piece  of  the  woven  palm  leaves 
in  which  the  dates  were  packed  to  show  the  children.  There 
may  be  an  Eastern  rug  small  enough  for  you  to  bring  from 
home  or  borrow.  Lay  the  rug  on  the  floor  where  all  can  look 
at  it  as  the  story  is  told.  After  the  story  note  the  beautiful 
colors  and  interesting  designs.  In  many  rugs  there  are  pictures 
of  birds  and  little  animal  shapes,  as  well  as  little  figures  that 
can  be  called  boys  and  girls.  Turn  the  rug  over  and  note  the 
immense  number  of  knots  that  must  be  tied  in  making  one 
small  rug. 

This  will  be  a  very  easy  lesson  to  illustrate,  for  many  of  the 
steamship  companies  will  furnish  you  with  sailing  schedules 
illustrated  with  pictures  of  ships  that  bring  to  this  country  the 
good  things  that  we  like  so  much.  Some  of  the  time  tables 
have  pictures  of  Arabs,  camels,  and  palm  trees.  Geographies 
often  contain  good  pictures  of  other  lands.  Look  through  the 
picture  sets  in  use  in  your  Sunday  school  and  borrow  any 
that  illustrate  this  story. 

If  the  children  were  very  much  interested  in  the  street 
scenes  played  at  the  last  lesson,  they  may  take  them  up  for 
their  free  play.  If  they  are  inclined  to  waste  the  time,  begin 
the  directed  play  period  at  once. 

40 


THE  FRIENDS  WE  CANNOT  SEE  41 

Directed  Play: 

Repeat  the  street  scenes,  adding  any  suggested  by  the  chil- 
dren. Ask  a  child  to  show  you  what  he  would  do  if  he  saw 
a  woman  drop  her  handkerchief;  if  a  little  boy  fell  and  hurt 
himself;  if  a  big  boy  was  teasing  a  stray  dog. 

Story:  The  Palm  Tree  Village. 

The  Palm  Tree  Village 

Some  Arab  children  lived  with  their  fathers  and  mothers 
in  a  little  village  on  the  sandy  desert.  Date-palms  shaded 
them  from  the  hot  sun.  The  trees  grew  because  a  spring  of 
clear  water  bubbled  up  through  the  sand  and  watered  them. 
Out  in  the  sun  where  the  sand  was  dry  there  were  no  trees 
and  no  children. 

It  was  a  pity  that  the  people  of  that  Arab  village  had  no 
Bible.  It  would  have  been  wonderful  for  the  children  to  know 
how  Moses  led  the  Children  of  Israel  across  their  desert.  The 
Children  of  Israel  may  have  pitched  their  tents  and  lived  for 
a  while  around  the  spring  that  made  the  palm  trees  grow.  It 
must  have  been  hard  for  them  to  leave  the  shade  and  the  cool 
spring  when  the  pillar  of  cloud  and  fire  moved  on.  In 
the  desert  wherever  a  spring  overflowed  and  watered  the  sand, 
and  trees  grew,  there  was  a  village  like  the  one  I  am  telling 
you  about. 

Great  heavy  bunches  of  dates  grew  on  the  trees  near  the 
top  among  the  leaves.  There  were  no  branches  or  leaves  on 
the  tall  straight  trunks.  One  of  the  boys  of  the  Palm  Tree 
Village,  whose  name  was  Ishma,  helped  to  gather  the  dates 
because  he  could  climb  to  the  top  of  the  tallest  tree.  When 
the  dates  were  ripe  the  men  tied  a  rope  around  Ishma's  body 
under  his  arms  and  around  the  tree,  catching  the  loop  as  high 
as  they  could  throw  it  over  a  rough  scale-like  place  on  the 
trunk  of  the  tree  where  a  palm  leaf  had  been.    Ishma  sprang 


42     A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

at  the  tree  and  pulling  on  the  rope  he  walked  up  the  trunk. 
When  he  had  gone  as  far  as  he  could  with  the  rope  where  it 
was  he  threw  the  noose  up  to  catch  on  another  scale.  He  did 
this  again  and  again  until  at  last  he  disappeared  among  the 
palm  leaves. 

Ishma's  eyes  shone  when  he  saw  the  sweet,  ripe  dates. 
Under  the  tree  four  men  were  holding  a  large  cloth  by  the 
corners.  We  would  have  called  it  a  rug.  It  was  made  of 
camel's  hair,  and  woven  in  strange  figures  and  beautiful 
colors.  Ishma  dropped  the  great  heavy  bunches  of  dates  into 
this,  for  the  dates  would  have  broken  if  he  had  thrown  them 
on  the  ground.  When  the  dates  were  all  gathered  the  people 
of  the  village  packed  the  largest  and  best  in  coverings  made 
of  strips  of  palm  leaves  woven  together.  They  were  getting 
them  ready  to  send  to  America,  and  so  they  were  careful  to 
choose  only  the  very  good  ones.  They  laid  the  dates  very 
evenly  side  by  side,  and  pressed  them  close  together. 

Dates  were  Ishma's  breakfast,  dinner,  and  supper.  The 
little  shelters  in  the  village  where  he  lived  were  made  from 
the  wood  of  palm  trees.  Ishma  made  baskets  and  brushes  of 
the  palm  leaves.  The  rope  that  helped  him  climb  the  tall 
trees  was  made  of  strong  shreds  of  the  stems  of  palm 
leaves. 

One  day  Ishma  saw  a  train  of  camels  traveling  across  the 
sandy  desert.  He  ran  quickly  and  told  his  father,  for  he  could 
see  that  the  men  on  the  camels  were  Arab  traders,  who  stopped 
at  every  little  palm  tree  village  and  bought  the  dates  and  the 
rugs  that  the  Arabs  wanted  to  sell.  Ishma's  father  was 
glad,  for  he  had  dates  to  sell.  The  men  of  the  village  also 
brought  out  their  best  rugs,  and  chose  the  prettiest  for  the 
traders.  The  people  of  the  Arab  village  did  all  of  the  weaving 
of  the  rugs  with  their  hands.  They  made  the  pretty  patterns 
too,  and  chose  the  colors. 

While  the  men  got  their  wares  ready,  the  women  made 


THE  FRIENDS  WE  CANNOT   SEE  43 

coffee  and  brought  water  from  the  spring,  for  the  traders 
would  be  thirsty  and  dusty.  Ishma  and  his  friends  ran  out 
from  among  the  palm  trees  to  watch  the  camels  as  they  came 
nearer  and  nearer.  Soon  they  could  hear  the  tinkle  of  the 
little  brass  bells  that  were  tied  in  the  cords  that  harnessed 
the  camels'  heads. 

When  they  reached  the  shade  of  the  palm  trees  the  camels 
kneeled.  The  traders  dismounted  and  bargained  with  Ishma's 
father  and  the  other  men.  They  gave  them  compasses,  soap, 
pocketknives,  and  spools  of  thread  for  the  rugs  and  dates. 
These  were  things  that  the  Arabs  were  very  glad  to  have,  for 
there  were  no  stores  except  those  that  were  miles  and  miles 
away. 

The  traders  drank  coffee  and  rested  in  the  shade  of  the 
trees  until  the  sun  went  down  and  it  was  cooler;  then  they 
fastened  the  great  packs  of  dates  to  the  saddles  and  laid  the 
rugs  across  the  backs  of  the  camels. 

The  camels  knelt  while  the  traders  mounted;  then  the 
camels  pitched  forward  and  were  on  their  knees.  Forward, 
and  back  again,  and  the  camels  were  on  their  feet,  and  the 
Arab  traders  were  high  in  the  air. 

The  camels'  feet  made  no  noise  in  the  soft  sand  as  they 
walked  away;  the  tinkle  of  little  brass  bells  grew  fainter  and 
fainter.  Ishma  and  his  friends  ran  out  from  under  the  palm 
trees  and  watched  the  camels  until  they  were  out  of  sight.  It 
was  very  still,  for  in  that  country  of  hot  sun  and  yellow  sand 
there  are  no  birds  to  sing  nor  even  a  breeze  to  whisper. 

All  that  night  the  traders  rode  their  camels  on  their  way 
to  the  sea  where  ships  were  waiting  to  bring  the  dates  and 
rugs  to  America. 

One  chilly  night  Billy  and  Bertha  had  sweet  sticky  dates 
for  supper.  Before  they  went  to  bed  they  cuddled  down  on 
the  rug  before  the  fire,  and  asked  Auntie  Bess  to  tell  them  a 


44    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

story.     The  rug  came  from  over  the  sea,  and  the  story  that 
she  told  was  the  one  that  you  have  just  read. 

(From  Friends  of  Ours,  by  permission  of  the   Missionary  Education  Movement,  150  Fifth 
Avenue,  New  York  City.) 

Activity : 

A  party.  Cut  paper  napkins  into  four  and  lay  them  on  the 
table,  one  at  each  place.  Ask  the  children  to  bring  the  chairs 
to  the  table,  and  invite  them  politely  and  cordially  to  sit  down. 
A  child  may  serve  the  dates,  and  you  may  show  the  piece  of 
palm  leaf  matting.  Talk  of  other  things  that  come  from  far 
away  lands,  and  about  the  friends  who  help  to  get  them  ready. 
These  children  read  well  enough  to  enjoy  having  you  make  a 
list  on  the  blackboard  of  the  good  things  that  come  from  other 
countries.  Figs,  chocolate,  sugar,  ginger  for  cookies  and 
colors  for  crayons  can  be  among  them.  Or,  take  one  of  these 
things  and  count  the  number  of  people  who  contribute  toward 
its  safe  journey  to  our  doors. 

A  March: 

Play  that  the  class  is  a  caravan,  carrying  rugs,  dates,  and 
other  things  to  the  coast. 

Service  of  Worship : 

Hymn:  Twinkle,  Twinkle,  Little  Star.  (In  many  song 
books. ) 

Poem  :     God's  Other  Lads.   (To  be  read.) 

"I  whisper  in  my  star-time  prayer, 
'Dear  Father,  for  my  brothers  care.' 
I  do  not  mean  alone  our  Fred, 
Or  sturdy  Paul  or  sunny  Ted, 
But  for  my  brothers  far  away — 
God's  other  lads,  for  them  I  pray. 

"The  Indian  lad  on  pony  fleet, 
The  turbaned  child  of  India's  heat, 


THE  FRIENDS  WE  CANNOT   SEE  45 

My  fur-clad  brother  of  the  snow, 
Black  boys  who  through  the  jungle  go, 
The  warlike  chaps  of  Zululand, 
And  Chinese  laddies  wise  and  bland. 

"A  star-time  prayer  I  softly  say, 
For  these  strange  brothers  far  away, 
Who  do  not  know  our  Father's  name, — 
Not  theirs  the  fault  or  theirs  the  blame, 
'So  red  or  brown,  or  dark  or  fair,' 
I  say,  'God,  keep  us  in  thy  care.'  " 

(Mary  Davis.     Reprinted  from  The  Mayflower, 
by  permission  of  The  Pilgrim  Press.) 

A  Talk: 

Do  any  of  you  ever  look  up  at  the  stars  before  you  go  to 
bed?  The  stars  shine  quite  early  at  this  time  of  year.  If  the 
sky  is  clear,  and  there  are  no  clouds  to  hide  the  stars  to-night, 
shall  we  all,  wherever  we  are,  look  up  at  them  ?  It  is  wonder- 
ful to  know  that  some  of  the  children  in  far-away  lands  can 
see  the  same  stars.  That  makes  "God's  other  lads"  seem 
nearer,  doesn't  it?  To-night  when  you  look  up,  say  a  part  of 
this  star-time  prayer.  We  can  all  remember  to  say,  "Dear 
Father,  for  my  brothers  care." 

Prayer  (see  Lesson  I).  Add  a  sentence  about  the  far- 
away friends. 

Scripture  Reading:  The  Memory  Work.  Note  the 
phrase  "love  one  another,"  and  explain  that  it  means  every- 
body, far  and  near. 

Hymn:  A  Whisper  Song  (A  First  Book  of  Hymns  and 
Worship,  No.  104). 

"I  want  to  send  a  whisper  song 
Across  the  waters  blue, 
And  say  to  all  the  children  there, 
'Jesus  loves  you,  Jesus  loves  you.' 


46    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

"If  they  should  not  quite  understand, 
They'll  wonder  if  'tis  true ; 
But  I  will  keep  on  whispering  still, 
'Jesus  loves  you,  Jesus  loves  you.' " 

Benediction  (see  Lesson  I). 

Additional  Material:     i.  Near   East   Picture   Stories;  2. 
Friends  of  Ours. 


LESSON  V 
THE  FRIENDS  OF  THE  BIRDS 

While  the  weather  is  good,  teach  out  of  doors  as  often  as 
possible.  The  first  lessons  have  been  planned  for  the  class- 
room so  that  the  children  would  become  familiar  with  the 
surroundings,  but  this  is  emphatically  a  lesson  for  the  open 
road,  and  those  who  can  go  for  a  real  country  walk  are  very 
fortunate.  This  is  a  favorable  time  for  becoming  acquainted 
with  some  of  the  birds.  You  may  see  sparrows,  woodpeckers, 
junkos,  and  many  others.  If  you  stay  in  the  classroom,  show 
pictures  of  birds  and  learn  the  names.  Younger  children  are 
content  to  think  of  all  birds  as  being  just  birds,  and  all  flowers 
to  them  are  just  flowers.  But  at  seven  they  are  interested  to 
know  that  some  birds  are  robins,  some  sparrows,  and  others, 
junkos.  The  flowers  too  are  daisies,  clover,  and  roses,  at 
seven. 

If  your  class  is  small,  you  can  make  bird  houses,  and  shelters. 
These  are  described  in  Gertrude  Hutton's  Things  to  Make, 
and  would  be  a  delightful  activity  if  a  teacher  was  so  situated 
as  to  be  able  to  ask  the  help  of  a  manual  training  teacher;  or, 
if  she  were  herself  clever  at  that  sort  of  work,  it  would  simply 
mean  the  getting  together  of  the  right  materials  for  use.  This 
is  suggested  as  a  substitute  for  the  activity  given  for  this  lesson. 

Those  who  can  reach  fields  where  grains  have  been  harvested 
can  really  "glean."  Carry  a  basket,  as  you  will  want  to  bring 
home  goldenrod  gone  to  seed,  sunflowers  in  like  condition,  and 
any  other  berries  or  seeds  that  are  found  by  the  roadside.  You 
will  find  ways  of  using  all  that  you  gather. 

When  you  find  a  good  place  to  rest,  tell  the  story.    Then  go 

47 


48    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

to  work  gathering  the  Christmas  feast  for  your  friends  the 
birds. 

Before  deciding  that  out-of-door  lessons  are  impossible  for 
you,  be  sure  that  you  know  all  about  the  distance  to  parks  and 
playgrounds.  A  neighbor's  garden  may  be  within  walking 
distance,  and  the  children  could  help  to  gather  the  seeds,  or  do 
any  gardening  that  needs  to  be  done  there. 

If  you  must  stay  in  the  classroom,  substitute  games  for  the 
walk  and  sing  the  autumn  songs  that  the  children  know.  They 
will  enjoy  singing  the  songs  that  they  are  learning  at  school 
and  you  can  interpret  school  work  religiously  very  often. 

The  order  of  these  lessons  can  be  rearranged  without  loss, 
so  teach  them  according  to  the  weather;  that  is,  teach  the  out- 
of-door  lessons  on  the  days  when  it  is  a  joy  to  be  out  of  doors, 
and  the  lessons  best  suited  to  indoors  when  the  weather  is  too 
cool  or  it  rains.  In  all  of  the  lessons  in  this  course  give  the 
outdoor  setting  the  preference.  Differing  climates  and  gen- 
eral conditions  will  have  to  decide  the  question,  however. 

Story:    The  Friends  of  the  Birds. 

Here  is  a  story  about  the  children  who  live  across  the  ocean 
in  a  country  called  Norway.  Norway  is  nearer  the  snowy 
north  country  than  our  homes  are,  so  the  snow  is  very  deep 
there  all  winter,  and  it  is  cold,  oh,  so  cold !  The  winters  are 
long  and  the  summers  are  short.  The  children  wait  long  for 
the  spring  to  come.  How  happy  they  must  be  when  the  first 
flower  opens  its  eyes!  They  must  be  glad  to  take  off  their 
winter  coats  and  play  in  the  warm  sun. 

Then  the  summer  comes,  and  the  fathers  are  busy,  for  they 
must  hurry  and  plow  the  fields  and  plant  the  wheat  so  that  it 
will  grow  and  ripen  before  the  frost  comes  again.  The  chil- 
dren and  the  fathers  and  mothers  are  very  much  interested  in 
the  wheat  and  the  vegetables,  for  they  need  a  great  deal  of 
food  to  eat  when  the  long,  cold  winter  comes.     The  children 


THE  FRIENDS  OF  THE  BIRDS  49 

watch  the  fields,  and  when  the  wheat  begins  to  grow  tall  they 
stand  beside  it  to  see  how  much  taller  they  are  than  the  wheat. 
But  the  wheat  grows  much  faster  than  the  children,  and  soon 
it  is  taller  than  they  are  and  of  a  beautiful  color.  It  is  the  color 
of  amber — do  you  know  what  amber  is  like  ?  When  the  wheat 
is  the  color  of  amber,  then  it  is  time  to  cut  it  down.  The 
fathers  bring  their  long,  sharp  scythes  and  cut  it  and  tie  it  into 
bundles,  and  carry  it  into  the  barns.  Although  the  fathers  are 
very  careful,  and  try  to  cut  and  carry  away  every  stalk  of 
wheat,  their  scythes  always  leave  a  few  stalks  standing,  and 
some  always  falls  out  of  the  bundles  as  they  are  carried  along, 
or  as  the  wagon  rumbles  over  stones.  When  the  last  bundle 
is  in  the  barn  the  children  are  told  that  they  may  go  to  the 
fields  and  glean.  That  is  a  happy  time  for  the  children.  They 
run  into  the  fields  and  gather  all  the  stalks  that  have  been  left 
standing  and  pick  up  all  that  have  been  dropped,  making  them 
into  great  bouquets  which  they  call  sheaves.  That  is  called 
"gleaning." 

The  children  take  the  sheaves  home,  and  the  mothers  find  a 
safe  place  for  them  in  the  attic  or  the  cupboard.  There  the 
sheaves  stay  until  summer  is  gone,  and  the  snow  is  deep,  and  it 
is  Christmas  Eve! 

There  are  tall  poles  like  flagstaffs  in  the  front  yard  of  many 
a  house  in  Norway,  so  tall  that  they  stand  high  above  the  deep- 
est snow.  When  the  children  bring  the  sheaves  from  the  cup- 
boards on  Christmas  Eve  the  fathers  fasten  them  to  tops  of  the 
poles.  Can  you  guess  why  ?  It  is  the  birds'  Christmas  dinner ! 
The  brave  little  sparrows  stay  in  the  North  all  winter,  and  they 
are  very  hungry  when  the  deep  snow  covers  the  seeds  and 
berries  so  that  they  cannot  be  found. 

On  the  day  before  Christmas  the  birds  come  in  great  flocks. 
They  are  as  excited  as  the  children  are  at  Christmas  time,  and 
how  they  flutter  and  chirp!  The  children  watch  from  the 
windows  and  laugh  to  see  their  hungry  little  friends  as  they 


50    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

fly  about,  chattering  and  eating  as  much  as  they  can.  The  chil- 
dren are  glad  that  they  gathered  the  wheat  while  the  sun  shone 
and  it  was  warm  in  the  fields.  In  Norway  the  feast  of  the 
birds  is  a  very  lovely  part  of  Christmas. 

A  Talk: 

How  would  you  like  to  make  a  Christmas  feast  for  the 
birds  ?  They  do  not  all  go  away  to  the  South  for  the  winter. 
There  are  a  great  many  hungry  birds  about  at  Christmas  time. 
We  can  put  the  seeds  and  berries  that  we  have  gathered  to-day 
away,  and  find  a  good  place  out  of  doors  for  the  birds'  Christ- 
mas dinner  when  the  time  comes.  Can  you  think  of  a  place 
where  they  would  find  their  dinner  easily?  Our  flagpole  would 
do,  and  the  birds  may  have  a  real  Christmas  tree,  trimmed  with 
the  things  they  like  best.  They  want  suet  and  sugar  and 
crumbs.  We  will  make  little  boxes  and  baskets  to  put  these 
good  things  in  and  we  will  tie  the  berries  and  seeds  to  the 
branches. 

Activity: 

If  you  walk  in  the  country,  gather  flowers  that  have  gone  to 
seed.    There  may  be  a  field  in  which  you  can  glean. 

Walk  back  to  the  classroom  for  the  service,  or  hold  it  in 
some  sheltered  place.  If  you  cannot  walk  in  the  country,  the 
Campfire  Girls  and  Boy  Scouts  will  get  what  you  want  as  they 
hike  in  the  autumn  weather.  Sunflowers  gone  to  seed,  cones, 
wild  rose  hips,  juniper  berries,  goldenrod,  and  tall  grasses  are 
among  the  things  that  you  can  use.  If  this  must  be  a  classroom 
lesson,  the  children  may  sort  and  shuck  some  of  the  seeds  and 
make  sheaves  and  winter  bouquets.  Fill  the  containers  made 
as  a  part  of  Lesson  II  and  label  them. 

There  may  be  time  for  making  small  containers  to  hang  on 
the  birds'  Christmas  tree.  Squares  of  paper  about  6x6  inches 
folded  according  to  directions  given  in  Lesson  II,  with  the 


THE  FRIENDS  OF  THE  BIRDS  51 

addition  of  worsted  loops  for  use  in  hanging  the  little  boxes  on 
the  tree.  Put  them  away  until  they  are  needed  in  serving  the 
great  feast. 

Service  of  Worship: 

Hymn:  Father,  We  Thank  Thee  (A  First  Book  in 
Hymns  and  Worship,  No.  15). 

Also,  any  songs  about  birds  that  the  children  know. 

Scripture  Reading  :  The  Memory  Work  for  the  month 
repeated  by  a  child.    Read  from  the  Bible  Matthew  6.  26. 

Prayer:  (Remember  that  the  birds  are  our  friends  and 
they  will  love  us  if  we  love  them). 

Jesus,  gentle  Friend  of  all  children  everywhere,  we  are  glad 
that  you  called  us  your  friends.  Help  us  to  do  friendly  things 
that  will  make  our  friends  happy.  Bless  the  friends  we  love 
and  all  who  love  us.    Amen. 

Hymn  :     America  the  Beautiful. 

"O  beautiful  for  spacious  skies, 

For  amber  waves  of  grain, 
For  purple  mountain  majesties 

Above  the  fruited  plain! 
America !     America ! 

God  shed  his  grace  on  thee 
And  crown  thy  good  with  brotherhood 

From  sea  to  shining  sea ! 

"O  beautiful  for  pilgrim  feet, 

Whose  stern,  impassioned  stress 
A  thoroughfare  for  freedom  beat 
Across  the  wilderness ! 
America !     America ! 
God  mend  thine  every  flaw, 
Confirm  thy  soul  in  self-control, 
Thy  liberty  in  law ! 


52     A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

"O  beautiful  for  heroes  proved 

In  liberating  strife, 
Who  more  than  self  their  country  loved, 
And  mercy  more  than  life ! 

America !     America ! 
May  God  thy  gold  refine 
Till  all  success  be  nobleness 
And  every  gain  divine ! 

"O  beautiful  for  patriot  dream 
That  sees  beyond  the  years 
Thine  alabaster  cities  gleam 
Undimmed  by  human  tears! 

America !     America ! 
God  shed  His  grace  on  thee 
And  crown  thy  good  with  brotherhood 
From  sea  to  shining  sea !" 

— (Katharine  Lee  Bates.) 

Poem  :     The  Sparrows. 

"In  the  far-off  land  of  Norway, 
Where  the  winter  lingers  late, 
And  long  for  the  singing  bird,  and  flowers, 
The  little  children  wait; 

"When  at  last  the  summer  ripens 
And  the  harvest  is  gathered  in, 
And  food  for  the  bleak,  drear  days  to  come 
The  toiling  people  win ; 

"Through  all  the  land  the  children 
In  the  golden  fields  remain 
Till  their  busy  little  hands  have  gleaned 
A  generous  sheaf  of  grain ; 

"All  the  stalks  by  the  reapers  forgotten 
They  glean  to  the  very  least, 
To  save  till  the  cold  December, 
For  the  sparrows'  Christmas  feast. 


THE  FRIENDS  OF  THE  BIRDS  53 

"And  then  through  the  frost-locked  country 
There  happens  a  wonderful  thing: 
The  sparrows  flock  north,  south,  east,  west, 
For  the  children's  offering. 

"Of  a  sudden,  the  day  before  Christmas, 
The  twittering  crowds  arrive, 
And  the  bitter,  wintry  air  at  once 
With  their  chirping  is  all  alive. 

"They  perch  upon  roof  and  gable, 
On  porch  and  fence  and  tree, 
They  flutter  about  the  windows 
And  peer  in  curiously. 

"And  meet  the  eyes  of  the  children, 

Who  eagerly  look  out 
With  cheeks  that  bloom  like  roses  red 
And  greet  them  with  welcoming  shout. 

"On  the  joyous  Christmas  morning, 
In  front  of  every  door 
A  tall  pole,  crowned  with  clustering  grain 
Is  set  the  birds  before. 

"And  which  are  the  happiest  truly 
It  would  be  hard  to  tell ; 
The  sparrows  who  share  in  the  Christmas  cheer, 
Or  the  children  who  love  them  well ! 

"How  sweet  that  they  should  remember, 
With  faith  so  full  and  sure, 
That  the  children's  bounty  awaited  them 
The  whole  wide  country  o'er! 

"When  this  pretty  story  was  told  me 
By  one  who  had  helped  to  rear 
The  rustling  grain  for  the  merry  birds 
In  Norway,  many  a  year, 


54     A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

"I  thought  that  our  little  children 
Would  like  to  know  it  too, 
It  seems  to  me  so  beautiful, 
So  blessed  a  thing  to  do, 

"To  make  God's  innocent  creatures  see 

In  every  child  a  friend, 

And  on  our  faithful  kindness 

So  fearlessly  depend." 

(Celia  Thaxter.     Used  by  permission  of  and  spe- 
cial  arrangement   with   Houghton    Mifflin   Co.) 

Benediction. 

Additional  Material:  i.  "A  Forest  Full  of  Friends,"  in  Why 
the  Chimes  Rang,  by  Raymond  McDonald  Alden.  2.  "For 
Our  Friends  the  Birds,"  in  Things  to  Make,  by  Gertrude 
Hutton. 


LESSON  VI 
FRIENDS  WHO  CARE  FOR  US 

If  you  can  go  to  the  park  or  woods  to-day,  many  interesting 
forms  of  free  play  will  suggest  themselves  to  the  children. 
In  the  classroom  if  the  play  is  going  well  and  is  worth  while, 
the  period  may  be  a  little  longer  than  usual,  and  the  directed 
play  left  until  later  in  the  hour. 

A  few  questions  should  be  asked  and  answered  before  the 
story  is  told.  The  children  may  not  realize  that  the  policeman 
is  a  friend.  Many  children  are  afraid  of  men  in  uniform. 
Children  who  live  in  the  country  do  not  often  see  government 
employees  and  they  may  not  know  of  all  the  people  who  are 
protecting  us  in  various  ways.  The  laws  (or  rules)  that  are 
made  for  us  to  obey  are  for  our  own  good,  and  when  we  obey 
these  rules  we  are  obeying  the  Golden  Rule,  too.  The  Golden 
Rule  is  the  rule  for  friends  to  obey.    Do  the  children  know  it? 

Story:  The  Ranger. 

A  train  rushed  through  a  great  forest,  and  Billy,  who  was 
traveling  with  Uncle  Steve,  complained:  "Just  trees!  trees!  on 
both  sides  of  the  car.    I  can't  see  anything!" 

"Why!"  said  Uncle  Steve,  "I  can;  I  can  see  doors,  and 
chairs,  and  boats,  and  books,  and  log  fires,  and  matches.  I 
can  see  nutting  crooks  and  sleds  and " 

"Oh !"  said  Billy,  "you  mean  the  wood  in  the  trees." 

"Yes;  those  things  are  still  in  the  trees  and  some  day  we 
will  want  them  very  much." 

Then  in  a  flash  the  train  was  out  of  the  shady  woods  and 
into  sunshine.    Billy  could  see  a  high  mountain. 

"Look!  Uncle  Steve,"  he  shouted.    "There  is  a  man  stand- 

55 


56    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

ing  on  the  very  top  of  that  mountain.  I  think  he  is  looking 
through  field  glasses.    Did  you  see  him?" 

"Yes,"  said  Uncle  Steve.  "He  is  a  forest  ranger.  He  is 
watching  for  forest  fires.  A  spark  from  our  engine  might 
start  one.    Lean  back  and  rest  while  I  tell  you  a  story. 

"Once  a  fisherman  went  into  the  woods  very  early.  He 
knew  of  a  mountain  stream  which  had  trout  in  it.  It  was  a 
summer  morning  and  the  forest  was  sweet  and  cool.  The  sun 
came  up  and  woke  the  birds.  The  leaves  on  the  big  strong 
trees  were  as  fresh  as  the  flowers  and  mushrooms.  Squirrels 
and  rabbits  lived  in  the  forest.  Foxes  and  wildcats  lived  there 
too.  The  fisherman  lighted  his  pipe.  He  threw  the  match  on 
the  ground  and  walked  on.  He  did  not  look  back,  and  after  a 
while  he  found  the  stream  and  fished  for  trout. 

"The  little  spark  in  the  head  of  the  match  did  not  go  out. 
It  grew  and  crept  about  among  the  pine  needles.  A  little 
breeze  found  it  and  made  it  blaze  up.  The  low  branches  of  a 
tree  caught  fire.  The  fire  flew  from  tree  to  tree.  Up,  up  it 
went  nearly  as  high  as  the  clouds;  the  air  quivered  and  was 
full  of  smoke.  The  squirrels  and  rabbits,  the  foxes  and  wild- 
cats came  out  of  their  homes  and  ran  and  hopped.  The  foxes 
forgot  that  they  wanted  to  eat  the  rabbits,  and  the  squirrels 
forgot  that  they  were  afraid  of  the  foxes.  They  all  ran,  and 
leaped,  and  rushed  together,  with  fire !  fire !  chasing  them,  and 
coming  nearer  and  nearer. 

"The  men  in  a  town  near  the  forest  saw  the  smoke  and 
flames  against  the  sky.  They  got  their  shovels  and  their  pails, 
and  started.  It  took  them  a  long  time  to  get  there  and  the  fire 
burned  on  and  on.  The  men  filled  their  pails  with  water  from 
the  stream.  They  could  not  put  the  fire  out  in  that  way.  Their 
pails  were  too  small  and  the  stream  was  not  deep.  They  threw 
away  their  pails  and  went  to  work  digging  a  trench.  They 
worked  hard  and  fast.  Their  shovels  flew.  When  the  fire 
reached  the  trench  it  stopped  spreading.    When  the  sun  went 


FRIENDS  WHO  CARE  FOR  US  57 

down  the  birds  and  animals  were  gone,  so  were  the  leaves  and 
flowers.  Even  the  great  strong  trees  were  gone  except  for  a 
black  trunk  here  and  there,  without  a  branch  or  twig.  The 
men  were  tired.  One  of  them  said,  'Some  of  these  trees  had 
been  growing  for  a  hundred  years.' 

"Another  said,  'Think  of  the  houses,  the  barns,  the  boats, 
and  the  fences  that  were  burned  in  these  trees !'  It  made  them 
very  sad  to  look  at  the  burned  place." 

"Is  that  the  end  of  the  story?"  asked  Billy. 

"No,"  said  Uncle  Steve.  "That  is  only  the  first  part  of  the 
story.  Lightning  sometimes  struck  a  tree  and  started  a  fire; 
again  sparks  from  the  engines  of  trains  lighted  the  dry  pine 
cones.  Boys  camped  out  all  night  and  went  home  the  next 
day  without  being  sure  that  their  fires  were  out. 

"The  people  said:  'We  must  not  let  our  beautiful  forests 
burn.  The  children  all  need  wood,  and  when  they  grow  up 
they  will  want  it  even  more  than  they  do  now.'  So  men  were 
sent  to  the  tops  of  mountains  to  watch  for  fires.  They  were 
called  forest  rangers,  and  the  man  you  saw  looking  through 
field  glasses  is  one  of  them." 

"I  am  glad  I  looked  just  at  the  right  minute.  I  might  not 
have  seen  him  at  all,"  said  Billy.  "What  do  they  do,  Uncle 
Steve,  if  their  mountains  are  not  high  enough  so  they  can  see 
all  around?" 

"They  build  towers  of  rough  poles,"  said  Uncle  Steve. 
"They  fasten  a  ladder  to  one  side  and  put  a  platform  on  the 
top.  Then  they  climb  up  into  their  towers  and  look  around. 
The  rangers  sometimes  see  a  fire  fifty  miles  away.  On  their 
horses  they  ride  and  ride  for  miles  through  the  forest. 

"As  soon  as  a  ranger  sees  a  curl  of  smoke  among  the  trees 
he  telephones.  He  tells  the  people  on  the  farms  and  in  the 
towns  that  are  nearest  the  fire  just  where  it  is.  The  men 
saddle  their  horses  and  start  instantly  for  the  fire.  They  do 
not  take  their  pails  and  shovels.     They  know  that  here  and 


58    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

there,  through  the  forest,  they  will  see  big  tool-chests,  built 
against  the  trees.  The  men  ride  as  far  as  they  can ;  when  they 
come  to  a  trail  that  is  narrow  and  tangled  they  leave  the  horses 
and  hurry  on,  on  foot,  looking  for  the  tool-chests  as  they  go. 
The  tool-chest  is  just  where  the  ranger  told  them  they  would 
find  it." 

"I  am  going  to  watch  for  a  tool-chest  while  you  finish  the 
story,"  said  Billy. 

"Do !"  said  Uncle  Steve.  "When  the  men  find  the  tool-chest 
they  open  it  and  take  out  axes,  hoes,  and  shovels.  Then  they 
crash  on,  through  the  bushes  and  the  brush,  and  put  the  fire 
out  before  it  has  had  time  to  spread  very  far.  Before  the 
rangers  began  to  take  care  of  the  forests  the  fires  spread  until 
they  came  to  towns  and  cities.  Then  the  towns  and  cities 
burned  too." 

"We  live  near  a  forest,  and  our  house  is  made  of  wood," 
said  Billy. 

"Yes,"  said  Uncle  Steve,  "but  the  ranger  is  watching.  He 
is  one  of  God's  helpers  and  we  are  safe.  And  the  boat  we  are 
going  to  build  some  day  is  safe  too,  hidden  away  in  some  tree." 

"And  the  birds'  nests,  and  the  places  where  the  squirrels  and 
rabbits  live,"  said  Billy. 

(From  Friends  of  Ours,  used  by  permission  of  The 
Missionary  Education  Movement,  150  Fifth  Avenue, 
New  York  City.) 

Activity : 

A  fire  drill  will  be  a  good  lesson  in  obedience  to  law.  At 
the  sound  of  a  bell  the  children  must  form  a  line  immediately. 
To  march  music  played  in  double-quick  time,  the  class  should 
march  to  the  door  and  out  into  a  yard  or  corridor.  Time  the 
drill,  going  through  it  several  times,  proving  that  when  every 
one  obeys  instantly  it  takes  but  a  few  minutes.  Make  a  note 
of  the  best  time  made  and  promise  to  try  it  again  some  day. 


FRIENDS  WHO  CARE  FOR  US  59 

March  about  the  room,  standing  at  attention  to  salute  the  flag 
before  you  take  your  places  for  the  service. 

Service  of  Worship: 

Hymn:     America   (the  first  and  last  stanzas). 

Memory  Work:  Sentences  chosen  for  the  month.  Add 
as  a  reading  the  Golden  Rule. 

Prayer:  Dear  Jesus,  thou  art  our  kindest  Friend.  We 
thank  thee  for  the  people  who  help  thee  to  take  care  of  us.  We 
love  to  think  of  the  friends  who  are  watching  to  make  us  safe 
while  we  sleep.     Amen. 

Hymn:  The  Golden  Rule  (Songs  for  Little  People, 
No.  27). 

Benediction. 

Additional  Material:  1.  Lessons  for  Junior  Citizens,  Chap- 
ter III,  by  Mabel  Hill.    2.  "The  Medal,"  in  Friends  of  Ours. 


LESSON  VII 
FRIENDLY  BEHAVIOR 

If  you  are  planning  to  invite  friends  to  the  review  lesson, 
the  games  to-day  should  be  informal  rehearsals  of  what  you 
will  do  to  entertain.  Repeat  the  street  scenes  and  allow  the 
children  to  elaborate  them  if  their  ideas  are  worth  while.  This 
is  good  habit- forming  play,  for,  as  someone  has  most  truly  said, 
"We  must  do  kind  things  till  we  feel  kind  things."  The  pro- 
grams for  the  review  lessons  are  only  suggestive  as  there  are 
many  interesting  things  that  may  be  done  and  sometimes  a 
need  for  reviewing  some  special  point. 

The  story  for  to-day  shows  two  people  doing  the  friendly, 
helpful  things  that  were  natural  in  the  circumstances.  Nabal's 
behavior  is  in  sharp  contrast  to  that  of  David  and  Abigail,  and 
is  so  unlovely  as  to  show  at  once  the  strength  of  David's  at- 
titude. 

Story:  Two  Friendly  People  and  Another. 

(Ask  the  children  to  tell  you  what  they  know  about  David. 
Place  him  in  their  minds  as  being  the  brave  shepherd  boy  who 
protected  the  sheep  and  killed  the  giant.  Say  that  the  stories 
about  him  are  in  the  Bible.) 

When  David  was  a  young  man  he  lived  in  the  palace  with 
the  king.  Jonathan,  the  king's  son,  was  David's  best-loved 
friend.  The  Bible  tells  that  they  loved  each  other  better  than 
they  loved  themselves.  At  first  the  king,  whose  name  was 
King  Saul,  loved  David  very  much,  too.  But  when  people  said 
that  David  was  braver  than  the  king,  King  Saul  forgot  his 
love  for  David  and  thought  only  that  he  wished  to  be  called  the 
bravest  himself.     David  made  lovely  music  upon  his  harp. 

60 


FRIENDLY  BEHAVIOR  61 

King  Saul  loved  to  hear  the  music,  but  one  day  while  David 
was  playing,  King  Saul  threw  his  spear,  thinking  that  it  would 
hit  David.  Of  course  King  Saul  had  been  thinking  that 
David  was  the  bravest  man  in  the  kingdom,  and  he  was  cross 
and  lost  his  temper.  The  spear  did  not  hit  David,  but  when 
he  saw  how  angry  the  king  was  he  left  the  palace  and  hid  out 
in  the  wilderness  in  a  cave  in  the  rocks.  Jonathan  was  very 
sorry  that  David  needed  to  hide  from  the  king,  and  did  all 
he  could  to  show  his  love  for  him.  Jonathan  was  David's 
most  loving  friend,  but  he  was  not  the  only  one  who  loved 
David  and  was  proud  of  him.  When  the  friends  who  cared 
for  David  heard  that  he  was  hiding  from  the  angry  king  they 
went  into  the  wilderness  and  joined  him.  One  after  another 
came  until  David  had  with  him  enough  friends  to  make  an 
army,  and  they  were  ready  to  make  war  against  the  king's 
soldiers  if  King  Saul  should  find  out  where  David  and  his 
men  were  hiding  and  come  to  capture  David. 

When  David  and  his  friends  walked  among  the  hills  and 
about  the  fields  they  saw  flocks  of  sheep  nibbling  the  grass, 
and  sometimes  they  saw  sheep  that  had  wandered  away  from 
the  shepherds  who  were  taking  care  of  them.  David  had  been 
a  shepherd,  and  he  knew  that  lions  and  bears  might  come,  for 
there  were  a  great  many  wild  animals  in  the  wilderness.  Some- 
times he  saw  thieves  driving  the  sheep  away  from  the  others 
and  into  their  own  flocks.  David  and  his  men  knew  that  the 
sheep  belonged  to  a  man  named  Nabal,  who  lived  in  that  coun- 
try, and  they  cared  for  Nabal's  sheep,  frightening  away  the 
lions  and  the  thieves,  and  helping  the  shepherds,  for  that  was 
how  one  friend  would  help  another.  If  the  sheep  had  be- 
longed to  him,  David  thought  that  Nabal  would  have  helped 
in  that  same  way.  Nabal's  shepherds  were  very  thankful  to 
David  and  his  friends  for  doing  so  many  friendly  helpful 
things,  for  there  were  many  sheep  in  Nabal's  flocks  and  his 
shepherds  could  not  watch  them  all. 


62    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

When  David  and  his  men  had  been  hiding  in  the  wilderness 
for  a  long  time  the  food  that  they  had  brought  was  nearly- 
gone,  so  David  sent  ten  men  to  Nabal's  home  to  say:  "Peace 
be  unto  thee  and  to  all  that  are  in  thine  house.  Thy  shepherds 
have  been  with  us  in  the  wilderness  and  we  have  watched  that 
none  of  thy  sheep  were  lost.  We  cared  for  them  as  though 
they  were  our  own  sheep.  Give,  we  ask  thee,  food  to  these 
thy  friends  and  unto  David." 

But  Nabal  was  cross  and  unfriendly  and  he  answered :  "Who 
is  David  ?  Shall  I  take  my  bread  and  my  meat  and  give  it  to 
men  who  have  come  from  I  know  not  where?" 

Then  David's  men  went  back  to  the  cave  and  told  all  that 
Nabal  had  said.  When  David  heard  the  cross,  unfriendly 
things  that  Nabal  had  said  he  was  angry.  He  said,  "Gird  on 
every  man  his  sword !"  And  David  girded  on  his  own  sword, 
and  there  went  up  with  him  to  Nabal's  house  about  four  hun- 
dred men.  Two  hundred  of  the  young  men  stayed  to  guard 
the  things  that  were  in  the  camp.  As  they  went  David  thought 
of  Nabal's  unkind  words.  He  remembered  that  he  had  been 
a  good  friend  to  Nabal  and  he  thought  that  Nabal  should 
show  himself  friendly  too. 

Now,  one  of  the  shepherds  had  heard  Nabal  talking  with 
David's  men.  When  he  saw  David  and  his  men  afar  off  he 
ran  to  Abigail,  Nabal's  wife,  and  said:  "Behold,  David  sent 
messengers  out  of  the  wilderness  to  visit  our  master,  and  he 
was  very  unkind  to  them.  They  were  very  good  to  us  in  the 
wilderness  and  we  were  not  hurt,  neither  did  we  lose  any  of 
our  sheep.  David  and  his  friends  cared  for  us  night  and  day. 
Think  now  what  we  can  do,  for  David  and  four  hundred  of 
his  men  are  coming  against  us  and  Nabal  is  so  cross  that  we 
cannot  talk  with  him." 

Then  Abigail  made  haste  and  took  two  hundred  loaves  of 
bread  and  meat  enough  for  all  of  David's  men.  She  took 
one  hundred  clusters  of  raisins,  and  two  hundred  cakes  of  figs. 


FRIENDLY  BEHAVIOR  63 

She  laid  all  of  these  things  on  the  backs  of  donkeys  and  she 
sent  the  shepherds  down  the  road  leading  the  donkeys.  She 
came  after  riding  on  a  donkey,  and  as  they  rode  down  the  hill 
they  came  to  a  turn  in  the  road.  There  they  met  David  and 
his  four  hundred  men. 

When  Abigail  saw  David  she  dismounted  and  bowed  herself 
to  the  ground.  "Do  not  think  of  what  Nabal  has  done  to  thee," 
she  said,  "for  he  is  but  a  foolish  fellow.  I  was  not  there  when 
your  friends  came,  so  now  I  bring  the  present  of  food  for  thee 
and  for  thy  men.  Jehovah  will  bless  thee  for  the  good  that 
thou  hast  done  for  us." 

Then  David  was  angry  no  longer,  and  he  said  to  Abigail, 
"Blessed  be  Jehovah  who  sent  thee  to  me  this  day  to  keep  me 
from  doing  harm,  for  I  was  very  angry." 

When  David  had  accepted  the  presents  that  Abigail  had 
brought,  she  went  back  to  her  house.  David  and  his  men 
went  down  to  their  camp  in  the  wilderness  carrying  the  food 
that  Abigail  had  given  them. 

Activity : 

Each  child  may  write  or  print  a  note  inviting  a  friend  to 
the  review. 

Write  the  following  on  the  board  and  let  the  children 
copy  it. 

Dear  Mother: 

We  invite  you  to  come  to  our  class  for  the  next  lesson. 
Lovingly  yours, 


When  this  has  been  copied  the  invitations  may  be  decorated 
by  a  flower  drawn  in  the  upper  left-hand  corner,  or  a  border  of 
color  all  around  the  sheet. 

Where  friends  are  not  to  be  invited  to  the  review,  the  chil- 
dren may  make  lists  of  the  friends  we  have  talked  about  in 


64    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

these  lessons.  Make  such  a  list  yourself,  and  ask  the  children 
to  read  theirs  aloud  and  compare.  Ask  how  these  people 
showed  that  they  were  good  friends.  Put  the  lists  away  to  be 
read  at  another  time.  They  may  be  useful  in  another  con- 
nection. 

Service  of  Worship: 

Hymn:  The  Golden  Rule  (Songs  for  Little  People, 
No.  27). 

America  the  Beautiful  (one  verse). 

Scripture  Reading  :     The  Memory  Work  for  the  month  : 
"I  have  called  you  friends;  ...  I  chose  you." 
"A  friend  loveth  at  all  times." 
"Ye  are  my  friends,  if  ye  do  the  things  which  I  command 

you." 
"I  say  unto  you  my  friends,  Be  not  afraid." 

Prayer:  Jesus,  Friend  of  all  children  everywhere,  we  are 
glad  that  you  called  us  your  friends.  Help  us  to  do  friendly 
things  that  will  make  our  friends  happy.  Bless  the  friends  we 
love  and  all  who  love  us.    Amen. 

Poem:  God's  Other  Lads  (see  Lesson  IV).  Give  the 
boy  who  will  learn  and  recite  this  poem  at  the  review  lesson  a 
typewritten  copy  to  take  home  and  study. 

Hymns  :     (All  that  you  will  sing  at  the  time  of  the  review) . 
Benediction:     Dear  Lord  Jesus,  be  with  each  one  of  us 
until  we  meet  again.    Amen. 


LESSON  VIII 
REVIEW 

There  is  nothing  more  important  in  our  teaching  than  in- 
teresting, well-planned  reviews.  No  story  can  teach  its  les- 
son when  told  but  once,  and  the  full  meaning  of  songs,  memory 
verses,  and  poems  comes  when  they  have  been  repeated  again 
and  again.    To  omit  review  lessons  is  to  teach  very  little. 

In  his  Seven  Laws  of  Teaching  John  M.  Gregory  says: 
"The  plastic  power  of  truth  in  shaping  conduct  and  molding 
character  belongs  only  to  the  truths  which  have  become  fa- 
miliar by  repetitions.  Not  the  scamper  of  a  passing  child 
but  the  repeated  tread  of  going  and  coming  feet  beats  for  us 
the  paths  of  our  daily  life.  If  we  would  have  any  great  truth 
sustain  and  control  us,  we  must  return  to  it  so  often  that  it 
will  at  last  rise  up  in  mind  as  a  dictate  of  conscience  and  pour 
its  steady  light  upon  every  act  and  purpose  with  which  it  is 
concerned." 

Since  each  of  these  lessons  is  to  a  certain  extent  the  out- 
come of  another,  we  review  constantly,  and  the  Scripture 
memory  work,  the  hymns,  and  the  prayer  provided  for  each 
group  of  lessons  will  be  repeated,  perhaps  eight  times.  The 
review  lesson  will  take  the  central  thought  of  the  lessons  to  be 
reviewed,  and  set  it  forth  in  such  a  way  as  to  impress  it  once 
more  but  not  for  the  last  time.  The  best  of  all  that  we  use 
should  be  referred  to  again,  and  brought  out  in  different  ways, 
and  at  the  end  of  the  course  it  is  hoped  that  all  of  the  Bible 
verses,  seven  groups  in  all,  and  all  impressed  by  stories  and 
activities,  will  have  been  thoroughly  memorized  by  every 
child. 

65 


66    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 


The  program  given  for  this  review  can  be  changed  and 
made  to  fit  your  work  and  the  ideas  of  the  children. 


The  Chimes: 


The  Chimes 


fe£ 


irr-rr^ 


s 


ifir  ,  r-  i 


&m 


T=£ 


m 


Music:   Played  softly  as  all  come  to  order  for  the  stories. 

Stories:        Jesus,  the  Friend  of  Children.     Two  Friendly 
People  and  Another. 

Dramatization:  Street  Scenes  (see  Lesson  II). 

Service  of  Worship : 

Hymns:     America  the  Beautiful.    The  Golden  Rule. 

Scripture   Reading:     Memory    Work    repeated    by   the 
children. 

Poem  :     God's  Other  Lads  (recited  by  a  boy). 

Hymn:     Baby  Moses  (with  motions). 

Prayer . 

Benediction. 

All  pictures  used  with  these  lessons  should  be  on  exhibition, 
and  dates  may  be  served,  as  in  Lesson  IV,  if  guests  are  present. 

Note:     If  there  is  a  child  who  is  learning  to  play  the  violin, 
ask  him  to  bring  it  and  play  for  you  the  next  time  you  meet. 


II.    THANKFULNESS 

IX.  A  Joyful  Noise. 

X.  Families  and  Friends. 

XI.  Our  Daily  Bread. 

XII.  All  Manner  of  Precious  Fruits. 

XIII.  Rain  for  the  Earth. 

XIV.  Beautiful  Things. 
XV.  Review. 

XVI.     Plans  for  Christmas. 

I  will  give  thanks  unto  Jehovah  with  my  whole  heart ; 
I  will  show  forth  all  thy  marvelous  works. — Psalm  p.  i. 

Memory  Work: 

Sing  unto  Jehovah  with  thanksgiving; 
Sing  praises  upon  the  harp  unto  our  God, 
Who  covereth  the  heavens  with  clouds, 
Who  prepareth  rain  for  the  earth, 
Who  maketh  grass  to  grow  upon  the  mountains. 

— Psalm  147. 


LESSON  IX 
SINGING  PRAISE  UNTO  OUR  GOD 

November  brings  to  many  of  us  days  that  are  mild  and 
hazy,  very  beautiful  for  field  work,  or  for  lessons  taught  in 
parks  and  gardens.  Several  of  these  lessons  are  planned  so 
that  they  may  take  place  in  the  classroom  or  the  open,  and 
there  is  a  lesson  for  a  rainy  day. 

The  historical  setting  of  our  American  Thanksgiving  Day, 
and  also  many  nature  lessons  of  harvests  and  the  preparation 
for  winter,  will  be  taught  in  the  schools,  and  it  remains  for  us 
to  interpret  all  this  religiously  and  to  teach  the  children  to 
"praise  God,  from  whom  all  blessings  flow." 

If  this  lesson  is  taught  out  of  doors,  listen  intently  for  the 
music  made  by  the  breeze  among  the  leaves  and  grasses,  for 
all  bird  notes,  and  animal  and  insect  sounds.  There  is  always 
for  those  who  listen  "the  still  small  voice  in  autumn's  hush." 
Speak  of  other  sounds  that  we  love  to  hear,  and  add  the  sound 
of  singing  voices  to  the  praises  of  the  outdoor  world. 

Sing  "America  the  Beautiful"  and  take  this  opportunity  to 
point  out  any  of  the  beautiful  things  spoken  of  in  the  lines. 
There  may  be  "purple  mountain  majesties,"  and  "amber  fields 
of  grain."  There  will,  of  course,  be  "spacious  skies,"  and  it 
will  be  no  difficult  task  to  explain  the  meaning  of  the  last 
two  lines  of  the  first  stanza  if,  after  seeing  all  this,  you  say, 
"And  if  we  add  a  great  deal  of  love  to  all  the  lovely  things, 
that  is  brotherhood,  and  then  America  will  be  a  beautiful 
place  'from  sea  to  shining  sea.'  " 

For  the  rest  of  the  program,  the  story  can  be  told  and  the 
service  can  take  place  out  of  doors,  the  walk  home  and  a 
period  of  free  play  and  investigation  adding  enough  of  ac- 

69 


70     A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

tivity.  If  possible,  gather  nuts  and  carry  them  home  for  use 
later  on. 

The  classroom  lesson  may  begin  with  a  short  period  of  free 
play  unless  you  prefer  to  take  this  time  for  singing.  In  that 
case,  play  "Materna,"  repeating  until  all  are  quietly  seated. 

Play  familiar  tunes  and  listen  until  the  end,  then  guess  what 
it  was  that  was  played,  recalling  the  words.  Speak  of  other 
instruments,  and  ask  the  violinist  (if  there  be  such  among 
you)  to  play,  and  to  show  the  violin.  Talk  of  the  instru- 
ments used  in  Bible  times.     There  was  the — 

Harp:  A  gilded  stringed  instrument,  played  by  plucking 
the  strings  with  both  hands.  The  children  may  have  seen 
harps,  as  many  street  musicians  use  them. 

Pipe  of  reeds:  Made  from  hollow  reeds.  David  made  his 
so  cleverly  that  he  could  play  lovely  tunes  upon  them.  He  cut 
the  hollow  reeds  and  made  his  pipes  and  sang,  as  he  watched 
his  sheep  out  in  the  pastures.  He  also  played  upon  the  harp. 
David  made  the  words  of  his  songs,  as  well  as  the  tunes,  and 
he  made  music  for  the  harp,  too. 

Timbrel:  Very  much  like  a  tambourine.  The  Children  of 
Israel  played  the  timbrel  by  striking  it  to  make  the  little  bells 
ring.  They  did  this  to  show  that  they  were  happy.  Miriam, 
the  big  sister  who  was  good  to  Moses  when  he  was  a  baby, 
played  the  timbrel  when  the  Children  of  Israel  sang  a  great 
song  of  thanks.    Our  story  for  to-day  tells  about  it. 

Story:  Recall  the  story  A  Baby's  Friends  (see  Lesson  I). 

When  Moses  was  old  enough  to  talk  and  walk  he  went  to 
the  palace  to  live  with  the  princess.  The  little  boy  studied  his 
lessons  and  played  in  a  beautiful  garden  and  was  very  happy. 
He  did  not  know  that  the  king  was  very  cruel  to  the  Children 
of  Israel.  When  he  grew  up  and  went  out  to  watch  the  Chil- 
dren of  Israel  as  they  worked  for  the  king,  he  grew  very 
angry  that  they  should  be  so  badly  treated.    He  saw  the  king's 


SINGING  PRAISE  UNTO  OUR  GOD  71 

soldiers  making  the  Children  of  Israel  work  without  giving 
them  the  things  they  needed  for  their  work.  In  those  days 
bricks  were  made  with  clay,  and  straw  was  mixed  with  the 
clay  while  it  was  soft,  to  hold  it  together  and  make  the  bricks 
strong.  The  king's  soldiers  would  not  give  the  Children  of 
Israel  any  straw,  and  expected  them  to  make  good  bricks 
without  it.  When  the  bricks  broke,  the  poor  Children  of  Israel 
were  punished.  It  was  very  sad  and  very  hard  for  them,  and 
they  must  often  have  longed  to  go  away  from  Egypt  to  a  home 
of  their  own  where  they  could  be  happy  and  free.  They 
often  looked  way  off  to  the  place  where  the  earth  and  the  sky 
come  together,  and  they  wondered  if,  over  there,  there  was  a 
place  where  kings  and  soldiers  were  kind  and  where  people 
were  happy.  They  wanted  to  leave  Egypt,  but  they  did  not 
know  how  to  travel  or  where  to  go.  But  Moses  had  studied 
a  great  deal,  and  perhaps  he  had  been  on  journeys.  He  was 
tall  and  strong,  and  when  he  saw  the  people  so  unhappy  he 
longed  to  help  them.  Then,  one  day,  a  wonderful  thing  hap- 
pened. God  talked  to  Moses  and  made  him  the  leader  of  the 
Children  of  Israel!  God  told  Moses  that  he  was  to  lead  the 
Children  of  Israel  to  a  new  home.  And,  although  the  king 
did  not  want  them  to  go,  but  to  stay  and  work  for  him,  the 
Children  of  Israel  went  out  of  Egypt  one  night  in  a  great  pro- 
cession. 

They  were  very  quiet  as  they  put  their  clothes  and  dishes  in 
great  bundles  and  they  hushed  the  little  frightened  children, 
for  if  they  cried,  the  king's  soldiers  might  wake  and  prevent 
them  from  going.  There  were  many  people  in  that  great 
procession,  and  sheep  and  goats  too.  The  men  carried  the 
folded  tents  and  led  the  sheep.  There  were  a  great  many 
mothers  who  cared  for  the  children.  They  carried  the  little 
ones  when  they  were  tired,  but  the  big  children  helped  by 
carrying  the  bundles  and  walking  just  as  fast  and  as  quietly 
as  they  could.     So  day  after  day  they  traveled,  "and  Jehovah 


72    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

went  before  them  by  day  in  a  pillar  of  cloud,  to  lead  them  the 
way;  and  by  night  in  a  pillar  of  fire  to  give  them  light."  It 
was  very  wonderful  and  very  exciting.  On  they  went,  over 
sandy,  dry  places,  and  up  over  steep  mountains,  under  cool 
shady  trees  and  then  out  again  into  the  hot  sun.  The  cloud 
moved  on,  showing  them  where  to  go. 

At  last  they  came  to  the  sea.  It  was  the  Red  Sea,  and  if  they 
could  cross  the  water  they  would  be  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt. 
They  longed  to  be  in  another  country,  for  the  king  of  Egypt 
might  send  his  soldiers  to  carry  them  back,  and  that  thought 
frightened  them  very  much.  When  they  reached  the  seashore 
the  cloud  stood  still.  Then  the  Children  of  Israel  knew  that 
they  might  rest,  and  they  put  up  their  tents,  and  were  glad, 
for  they  were  very  tired.  After  a  while,  when  it  was  late, 
some  one  heard  the  sound  of  horses  tramping.  They  all  lis- 
tened and  the  sound  came  again.  Yes,  they  could  hear  horses 
and  the  sound  of  wheels !  Far,  far  away,  they  could  see  the 
soldiers  of  the  king  of  Egypt,  coming,  coming,  nearer  and 
nearer.  They  were  terribly  frightened,  and  complained  to 
Moses.    "Why  did  you  bring  us  out  of  Egypt?"  they  asked. 

But  Moses  did  not  answer,  for  he  was  listening  to  God. 
God  was  speaking  to  Moses  again!  God  said:  "Speak  to  the 
Children  of  Israel  that  they  go  forward.  Fear  not!"  Moses 
told  them  what  God  had  said,  and  they  began  at  once  to  take 
down  the  tents,  and  before  morning  they  were  ready  to  start. 
All  that  night  a  strong  wind  had  been  blowing,  and  in  the 
morning  when  the  Children  of  Israel  looked  at  the  sea,  won- 
dering how  they  were  to  cross,  they  saw  a  strange  sight.  The 
wind  had  blown  the  water  out  of  that  narrow  part  of  the  sea, 
and  there  before  them  lay  a  path  of  dry  land!  How  they 
hurried!  And  behind  them,  coming  nearer  and  nearer,  were 
the  king's  soldiers  with  shining  spears  and  prancing  horses. 

At  last  Moses  and  all  of  his  people  were  on  the  other  side 
of  the  Red  Sea.     The  water  rolled  back  in  great  waves,  and 


SINGING  PRAISE  UNTO  OUR  GOD  73 

the  Children  of  Israel  were  safely  out  of  Egypt.  Now  they 
were  really  on  their  way  to  a  new  home  and  they  were  safe. 
They  were  so  glad  that  they  sang  a  song  of  thanksgiving,  and 
Miriam  and  the  rest  played  on  timbrels.  It  was  a  joyful  noise 
that  they  made,  with  timbrels  and  with  singing !  This  is  what 
they  sang : 

"I  will  sing  unto  the  Lord  for  he  has  triumphed  gloriously ! 

Jehovah  is  my  strength  and  song, 

And  he  is  become  my  salvation : 

This  is  my  God,  and  I  will  praise  him." 

March: 

After  marching  and  singing  "Onward,  Christian  Soldiers!" 
stand  in  a  row  and  play  imaginary  instruments  in  turn.  Guess 
what  these  instruments  are  and  clap  for  the  one  who  guesses 
right. 

Activity: 

Fold  eight  mite  boxes,  following  the  directions  given  here, 
or  use  a  pattern  of  your  own.  Let  the  children  help  all  that 
they  can,  and  as  you  work,  talk  of  bringing  offerings.  The 
offering  need  not  be  a  regular  thing,  but  learning  to  give 
should  be  a  part  of  the  course  of  lessons.  Any  money  that  is 
brought  will  probably  be  used  for  materials  for  gifts  or  for 
gifts  of  fruit  or  crayons  for  those  who  are  ill.  Talk  about 
allowances  and  money  that  really  is  our  own,  and  propose 
sharing  it.  Label  the  boxes  "October,"  "November,"  and  so 
on;  and  if  colored  paper  is  used,  suggest  the  season  by  making 
the  December  box  red;  April,  green;  and  so  on.  Set  the  ex- 
ample by  dropping  an  offering  into  the  "November"  box. 
Place  the  mite  box  on  the  table  at  each  lesson. 

To  make  a  mite  box:  Take  a  ten-inch  square  of  paper,  and 
fold  it  in  sections  two  inches  square.    Cut  along  all  the  heavy 


74    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

lines  shown  in  the  diagram,  and  fold  into  a  cube.    Paste  down 
the  top  flap  and  cut  an  opening  in  the  top. 


! 1 



I\j 

^^^^ 

' 

• 

!          1 

Used  by  permission  of  the  Baptist  Publication  Society,  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania. 

Service  of  Worship: 

Hymn  :     America. 

Scripture  Readings — The  Memory  Work: 

"Sing  unto  Jehovah  with  thanksgiving ; 

Sing  praises  upon  the  harp  unto  our  God, 

Who  covereth  the  heavens  with  clouds, 

Who  prepareth  rain  for  the  earth, 

Who  maketh  grass  to  grow  upon  the  mountains." 

— Psalm  147.  7. 
Hymn: 

"Thanks  to  our  Father  we  will  bring, 
For  he  gives  us  everything." 

(Songs  for  the  Little  Child,  page  97,  Baker 
and  Kohlsaat.     The  Abingdon  Press.) 


SINGING  PRAISE  UNTO  OUR  GOD  75 

Poem  :     Praise  the  Lord  for  Sounds  We  Hear. 

"Praise  the  Lord  for  sounds  we  hear, 
Voices  of  our  playmates  dear, 
Merry  bells  and  songs  of  birds, 
Stories,  tunes  and  kindly  words, 
Praise  the  Lord  for  hearing." 

Prayer : 

We  thank  thee,  dear  heavenly  Father — 
For  music  and  all  lovely  sounds; 
For  all  beautiful  things  that  we  love  to  see; 
For  food  and  growing  things; 
For  sunshine  and  for  rain; 

For  our  friends  and  for  Jesus  who  said,  "Fear  not." 
For  these  things  we  thank  thee.    Amen. 

Hymn:     We  Thank  Thee  (A  First  Book  in  Hymns  and 
Worship,  No.  19). 

"We  thank  thee,  O  our  Father, 

For  all  thy  loving  care ; 
We  thank  thee  that  thou  madest 

The  world  so  bright  and  fair. 
We  thank  thee  for  the  sunshine, 

And  for  the  pleasant  showers; 
And,  O  our  God,  we  thank  thee, 

We  thank  thee  for  the  flowers. 

"Out  in  the  sunny  meadows, 

And  in  the  woodlands  cool, 
Upon  the  breezy  hillside, 

And  by  each  reedy  pool, 
And  in  the  quiet  pasture, 

And  by  the  broad  highway; 
All  pure,  and  fresh,  and  stainless, 

They  spring  up  every  day. 


76    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

"And  in  the  dusty  city, 

Where  busy  crowds  pass  by, 
And  where  the  tall,  dark  houses 

Stand  up  and  hide  the  sky, 
And  where  through  lanes  and  alleys 

No  pleasant  breezes  blow, 
E'en  there,  O  God  our  Father, 

Thou  mak'st  the  flowers  grow. 

"And  whether  in  the  city 

Or  in  the  field  they  dwell ; 
Always  the  same  sweet  message 

The  fair,  sweet  flowers  tell. 
For  they  are  all  so  wonderful, 

They  show  thy  power  abroad ; 
And  they  are  all  so  beautiful, 

They  tell  thy  love,  O  God." 

Benediction  : 

"The  Lord  bless  us  and  keep  us ; 
The  Lord  make  his  face  to  shine  upon  us.     Amen." 


LESSON  X 
FAMILIES  AND  FRIENDS 

Place  the  November  mite  box  on  the  table  and  speak  of  the 
ways  in  which  the  money  will  be  spent.  Ask  if  any  one 
brought  an  offering  and  suggest  putting  it  into  the  box  now, 
as  you  will  need  both  hands  for  the  game  you  are  going  to  play. 

The  story  of  the  Children  of  Israel  leaving  Egypt  can  be 
dramatized.  It  will  be  in  the  form  of  a  march,  everybody 
being  burdened  with  household  goods.  The  children  may  carry 
any  portable  furnishings  such  as  chairs,  coats,  hats,  boxes ;  and 
the  rug  to  be  used  as  an  object  lesson  when  the  story  is  told 
will  make  an  ideal  bed.  The  children  may  hold  such  conver- 
sations as  they  fancy  may  have  taken  place  between  children 
and  their  mothers,  as  they  journeyed.  The  climax  will  come 
when  they  reach  the  other  side  of  the  Red  Sea  in  safety.  Re- 
peat Miriam's  song  and  play  upon  imaginary  musical  instru- 
ments. 

Story:  The  Magic  Carpet  of  Balgiz,  as  told  by  Mousa,  a 
Persian  boy.  (A  small  hand-made  rug  should  be  on  the 
floor  in  the  circle  where  every  one  can  see  it.) 

The  most  wonderful  person  I  know  is  my  sister  Balgiz. 
No  one  could  be  more  wise  and  beautiful  than  she.  It  is  of 
her  wondrous  rug  that  I  will  tell  you,  for  as  truly  as  any  magic 
carpet  told  of  in  the  Arabian  Nights,  I  came  to  school  upon  it. 

All  the  girls  of  our  village  have  rugs  which  they  make  and 
take  with  them  when  they  go  away  as  brides. 

I  cannot  remember  when  Balgiz  began  to  make  hers.  She 
is  not  much  older  than  I,  but  when  I  was  still  very  small  I 

77 


78    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

used  to  watch  her  as  she  tied  into  the  warp  the  hundreds  of 
knots  of  bright-colored  wool. 

My  baby  brother,  strapped  tight  to  her  little  back,  would 
nod  his  head  on  her  shoulder,  and  she  would  sing  a  little  song 
to  us  both  about  the  pattern  her  quick  fingers  were  tying: 

"Little  flower  of  yellow, 

Little  flower  of  blue, 
Softest  green  around  you, 

Meadows   where   you   grew. 
Now  the  young  sheep  follow, 

With  their  shepherd  true, 
Feeding  in  a  hollow 

Bright  with  sparkling  dew." 

And  as  I  watched,  the  flowers  and  the  meadows  and  the 
sheep  she  sang  of  came  to  be  a  part  of  her  rug,  through  the 
hundreds  of  tiny  knots  she  tied. 

"Little  brother,  light  of  my  eyes,"  she  would  say  to  me, 
"what  shall  we  make  now?" 

I  would  answer:  "Let  us  make  a  bird  flying  above,  with 
wings  stretched  wide  and  still  as  at  sunset  they  fly  against  the 
sky.  It  shall  be  a  great  black  bird,"  I  said,  and  grew  so  ex- 
cited I  could  hardly  wait  to  see  him  appear  on  the  rug,  very 
far  away  and  tiny  though  he  was. 

When  Balgiz  needed  new  colors  for  her  wool  I  would  go 
out  and  help  her  dig  up  the  bright  roots  and  little  plants  from 
which  the  dyes  were  made,  and  so  I  came  to  feel  then  that  the 
rug  was  partly  mine. 

One  day  as  it  was  almost  evening  I  saw  my  sister  come  up 
the  hill,  on  her  head  the  stone  jar  filled  with  water  for  the 
evening  meal.  I  was  old  enough  now  to  go  out  to  the  fields, 
and  I  had  been  working  all  day  with  my  father.  She  called 
to  me: 

"Come,  little  brother.    For  a  long  time  you  have  not  helped 


FAMILIES  AND   FRIENDS  79 

me  with  our  rug,  and  I  have  come  almost  to  the  center,  which 
must  be  different  and  most  beautiful  of  all." 

I  thought,  "What  is  the  most  beautiful  of  all?"  I  shut  my 
eyes.  Have  you  ever  shut  your  eyes  and  seen  the  night  with 
a  thousand  stars  go  by? 

"Oh!"  I  cried,  "it  must  be  the  night  you  will  make  most 
beautiful  of  all  in  the  center  of  your  rug!" 

"The  night !"  she  said.  "How  shall  I  make  the  night,  when 
the  sheep  are  huddled  fast  asleep,  and  the  flowers  hang  their 
heads?" 

"But  above  they  are  all  awake,"  I  said.    "I  have  seen  them." 

"Ah,  yes!"  she  exclaimed,  "I  too  have  seen  them.  When 
we  sleep  on  the  flat  roof  through  the  long  summer  nights, 
they  glide  so  close  out  of  the  dark  blue  above,  you  can  almost 
touch  them :  fiery  dragons  and  great  mountain  sheep  with 
curly  horns  of  gold.  All  the  lost  kites,  that  blow  away  from 
the  hands  of  the  boys  who  play,  fly  there.  The  flowers  that 
fade  on  earth,  bloom  in  clusters  above.  All  the  streams  that 
here  run  dry  flow  sparkling  and  bright  in  the  long  blue  night. 
Yes,"  she  agreed,  "it  shall  be  the  night." 

So  through  long  days,  in  the  center  of  her  rug  Balgiz  made 
the  night,  deep  and  blue,  filled  with  the  golden  creatures  that 
dwell  above.  We  all  watched  it  grow  slowly,  mysteriously  as 
the  night  of  nature  grows. 

One  day  the  center  was  finished.  When  Balgiz  fashioned 
again  the  border  of  day,  with  its  fields  and  flowers,  and  the 
whole  rug  was  done. 

"Ah,"  said  my  mother,  "we  will  make  you  a  fine  marriage, 
little  daughter,  when  all  the  neighbors  see  what  your  hands 
can  do." 

It  was  soon  after,  that  the  foreign  teacher  came  to  our 
village.  He  talked  of  a  school  he  had  in  the  city,  where  boys 
could  learn  all  the  teacher  himself  knew  of  wonderful  things 
in  far-off  lands. 


80    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

"Ah,  if  I  might  go,"  thought  I;  but  I  knew  we  had  no 
money,  nor  had  we  anything  we  could  sell  that  would  bring 
enough  to  pay  my  way. 

My  sister,  whose  eyes  read  hearts,  knew  my  thought,  but 
she  too  knew  of  nothing  we  could  do. 

It  was  the  teacher  himself  who  showed  us  the  way.  It 
was  when  he  saw  the  rug — my  sister's  rug  of  night  and  day 
— he  exclaimed:  "My,  what  would  they  not  give  for  a  rug 
like  that  in  my  country !"  My  father  marveled  at  his  praise, 
for,  after  all,  was  not  the  rug  the  work  of  only  a  little  girl? 

My  sister  motioned  to  me.    I  could  see  she  was  excited. 

"Little  brother,"  she  said,  "ask  the  teacher  if  those  in  his 
country  would  give  enough  for  the  rug  so  that  you  could  go 
to  the  most  excellent  school." 

How  I  asked  the  teacher  I  do  not  know,  but  breathlessly 
we  awaited  his  answer. 

"It  would,  indeed,  be  enough,"  he  assured  us. 

And  so  I  and  the  precious  rug  were  sent  away  with  the 
teacher  to  the  nearby  city,  and  that  is  how  I  came  to  school 
on  my  sister's  rug  of  the  day  and  night.  Was  it  not  a  magic 
carpet ! 


As  Mousa  finished  his  story,  he  added  thoughtfully,  "I  wish 
I  had  in  truth  a  magic  carpet.  I  would  go  and  try  to  find 
Balgiz,  my  sister,  and  bring  her  here,  that  she  too  might  have 
rice.  Then,  as  do  the  other  women,  she  would  make  a  rug, 
but  more  beautiful  than  theirs.  Into  it  she  would  weave  this 
garden  with  the  tall  trees  and  the  cool  waterways,  and  some- 
how she  would  make  one  know  that  in  it  children  played  and 
were  glad." 

"Yes,"  put  in  Ali,  "we  could  send  it  then  to  America  to  show 
how  beautiful  a  Relief  Garden  can  be." 

"Since,  however,  we  have  no  rug,"  said  Ibrahim,  "perhaps 
the  teacher  here  will  send  America  our  greetings." 


FAMILIES  AND  FRIENDS  81 

"Peace  to  you,  peace  to  you,  America !"  shouted  the  children 
of  many  nations,  and  the  little  hands  were  waved,  and  the 
bright  faces  beamed  a  "Thank  you"  to  the  far-away  friends 
who  had  helped  them. 

(From  Near  East  Picture  Stories.  Used  by  permission 
of  The  Missionary  Education  Movement,  150  Fifth 
Avenue,  New  York  City. 

Activity: 

Learning  of  ways  in  which  we  can  make  sisters  and  broth- 
ers happy.  Everybody  loves  the  babies.  Have  any  of  you 
babies  at  home  ?  or  brothers  and  sisters  younger  than  you  are  ? 
They  love  to  have  you  play  with  them.  Do  you  ever  make 
playthings  for  them?  Balgiz  amused  her  little  brother  and 
carried  the  baby  on  her  back.  Do  you  wonder  that  Mousa 
loved  her?  I  am  going  to  show  you  how  to  make  pictures 
with  a  wet  string.  Then  when  you  go  home  you  can  teach  your 
little  brothers  and  sisters  to  do  it.  It  is  great  fun.  And  then 
we  will  make  some  dolls.    All  little  children  love  dolls. 

Wet  String  Drawing:  Cut  cotton  string  in  half -yard 
lengths  and  soak  them  in  water.  When  very  limp  and  wet 
lay  them  on  the  table  and  outline  such  forms  as  suns  and  moons, 
and  these  can  be  turned  into  faces,  using  pebbles  or  beans  to 
make  the  eyes,  nose,  and  mouth.  Flowers  and  trees,  even 
houses  and  animals,  can  be  drawn  in  this  way,  using  a  match 
or  a  twig  to  guide  the  wet  string  into  place. 

Dolls:  Clothespin  dolls  are  easily  made,  and  they  will  be 
more  of  a  novelty  to  the  children  than  to  you.  A  strip  of 
paper  (manila  paper,  if  you  wish  the  doll  to  stand)  pleated 
with  the  ringers  and  tied  around  the  clothespin  below  the 
little  round  head  will  make  a  good  skirt.  A  square  of  colored 
tissue  paper  folded  cross  wise  as  a  shawl  can  be  pinned  around 
the  shoulders  after  a  bonnet  of  tissue  paper  has  been  put  over 
the  little  head  and  tied  around  the  neck.    A  face  can  be  drawn 


82     A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

with  a  pen.  If  the  material  is  ready,  the  dolls  will  be  made 
very  quickly  and  those  who  finish  first  can  make  a  second  doll, 
to  be  put  away.  These  extra  dolls  will  be  found  very  useful 
later  on.  Each  child  may  take  a  doll,  for  a  friend,  if  there  are 
no  younger  children  in  the  home. 

Service  of  Worship : 

Hymn  :     /  Should  Like  to  Have  Been  With  Him  Then. 

Scripture  Reading:  Read  both  of  the  selections  for  the 
memory  work  and  ask  the  children  to  say  as  much  as  they  can 
with  you.  Read  a  second  time  and  relate  the  verses  from 
Psalm  147  to  the  story,  "A  Joyful  Noise." 

Prayer:  Prayer  for  the  month  (see  Lesson  IX),  followed 
by  the  Lord's  Prayer. 

Hymns:     A.  Whisper  Song — Baby  Moses. 
Benediction  : 

"The  Lord  bless  us  and  keep  us ; 
The  Lord  make  his  face  to  shine  upon  us.    Amen." 


LESSON  XI 
OUR  DAILY  BREAD 

The  aim  of  this  lesson  is  to  show  the  children  that  their 
prayer,  "Give  us  this  day  our  daily  bread,"  has  been  answered 
in  a  wonderful  and  beautiful  way.  If  you  prefer  to  tell  the 
story  of  the  miracle  of  the  loaves  and  fishes  to  "preaching" 
the  little  sermon  given  as  a  part  of  the  Service  of  Worship, 
you  will  find  it  in  A  First  Primary  Book  in  Religion  (Lesson 
V).  Or,  tell  it  in  your  own  way.  The  clay  bowls  molded  to- 
day are  to  be  taken  home  before  Thanksgiving  Day,  to  hold 
nuts  or  fruit  for  the  Thanksgiving  dinner.  It  will  be  neces- 
sary to  model,  color,  and  shellac  the  bowls,  leaving  time  for 
drying  after  each  process.  This  will  provide  handwork  for 
three  lessons. 

Allow  the  children  to  help  you  prepare  for  the  clay  work. 
Either  papers  or  table  oilcloth  should  be  spread  on  the  table 
and  the  moist  clay  cut  with  a  thread  into  cubes  large  enough 
to  make  a  bowl  about  three  inches  in  diameter.  The  clay 
that  never  hardens  can  be  used  if  you  give  the  bowls  two  coats 
of  very  good  shellac.  You  will  find  this  ready-to-use  clay 
described  in  the  kindergarten  catalogs  under  different  names, 
such  as  plastercine  and  modelette.  The  clay  that  hardens 
comes  moist  and  ready  to  use  and  is  the  best  for  your  use. 

When  the  preparations  for  modeling  are  made,  gather 
around  the  piano  and  learn  "Giving  Thanks"  (A  First  Book 
in  Hymns  and  Worship,  No.  19). 

Story: 

Our  story  to-day  is  about  some  children  who  lived  in 
Africa,  so  we  will  put  the  picture  of  Jesus  with  the  African 

83 


84    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

boy  looking  up  into  his  face  where  we  can  see  it  ("The  Hope 
of  the  World").  These  children  lived  in  a  little  village  near 
the  sea.  The  houses  in  which  they  lived  were  made  of  grass 
and  mud  and  there  was  a  large  house  where  the  missionary 
teacher  had  a  school.  The  children  called  her  "Missi,"  and 
loved  her  dearly. 

"For  long,  long  weeks  no  rain  had  fallen,  and  there  was 
little  to  eat,  for  the  grain  would  not  grow.  The  people  had 
picked  all  the  coconuts  and  all  the  fruit  from  the  trees  around 
the  village,  and  still  the  ship  that  was  to  bring  them  food  did 
not  come.  Every  morning  some  of  the  boys  in  the  mission 
school  would  climb  into  the  top  of  the  tallest  tree  and  look 
way  out  over  the  ocean  to  see  if  there  were  not  a  sail  some- 
where ;  but  there  was  nothing  upon  the  water  that  stretched  so 
far  away  it  seemed  to  touch  the  sky.  At  last  they  had  to  pick 
leaves  from  the  fig  trees  for  food;  but  even  for  this  these 
people  with  the  black  faces  always  said  'Thank  you'  to  the 
heavenly  Father.  They  had  never  forgotten  to  say  it  since  they 
had  learned  about  the  loving  heavenly  Father  who  was  the 
Giver  of  all  their  good  gifts.  At  that  time  they  had  made  a 
bonfire  of  the  idols  to  which  they  used  to  pray. 

"Just  at  light  one  morning,  the  boys  in  the  treetops  shouted : 
'The  ship !  The  ship !  It  is  coming !  Hurrah !'  Everybody 
in  the  mission  house  sprang  out  of  bed,  dressed  as  quickly 
as  possible,  and  then  down  to  the  shore  they  all  ran,  for  they 
were,  oh,  so  very  hungry. 

"The  ship  anchored  away  from  the  rocks,  and  little  boats 
put  out  from  shore  to  bring  back  the  food  that  had  come  at 
last.  A  big  box  was  lowered  into  one  of  the  boats,  and  when 
it  was  tumbled  out  on  the  shore  the  children  said :  'Oh,  Missi, 
it  rattles  like  crackers.  May  we  take  it  to  the  mission  house  ?' 
Then  such  a  pushing  and  pulling  and  puffing  as  there  was 
until  the  box  bumped  against  the  door  of  the  missionary's 
home. 


OUR  DAILY  BREAD  85 

"  'Oh,  Missi,  please  open  the  box  quickly,'  the  children  said. 
'We  are  so  hungry.'  It  did  not  take  the  missionary  long  to 
find  a  hammer  and  pull  out  the  nails,  and  soon  every  boy  and 
every  girl  held  a  precious  cracker,  but  no  one  ate. 

"  'You  are  starving !  Why  don't  you  eat  ?'  the  missionary 
said. 

"  'Oh,  Missi,  we  can't  eat  until  we  thank  God  for  sending 
the  food,'  they  said,  and  then  these  hungry  little  black  chil- 
dren waited  until  the  missionary  had  said,  'We  thank  thee, 
our  heavenly  Father,  for  this  food.'  Would  you  have  waited?" 
(From  Autobiography  of  John  G.  Paton.  By  permission 
of  Fleming  H.  Revell  Company.) 

A  Blessing: 

The  heavenly  Father  sends  us  food  and  we  should  thank 
him.  Do  you  ever  say  "Thank  you"  for  the  good  things  that 
are  on  your  dinner  table?  Here  is  a  verse  that  a  great  many 
children  say  every  day  : 

"God  is  great  and  God  is  good, 
And  we  thank  him  for  this  food. 
By  his  hand  must  all  be  fed; 
Give  us,  Lord,  our  daily  bread.     Amen." 

Activity : 

Modeling  bowls  from  clay.  Work  a  piece  of  moist  clay  into 
a  ball  and  lay  it  on  the  table.  Press  the  two  thumbs  into  the 
top  of  the  ball  and  work  with  fingers  and  thumbs  until  the 
clay  has  become  a  bowl,  thick  or  thin,  shallow  or  deep,  as  the 
little  potter  prefers.  Stand  the  bowls  away  where  they  will 
not  be  handled  and  place  in  each  the  name  of  the  artist  on  a 
slip  of  paper.  The  next  time  that  we  work  together  we  will 
color  our  bowls.  They  will  be  finished  in  time  for  Thanks- 
giving and  we  will  put  a  surprise  in  each  one  and  take  them 
home  for  the  dinner  table. 


86     A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

If  it  is  impossible  for  you  to  model  in  clay,  make  the  little 
paper  basket  described  in  Lesson  XII  and  leave  the  decora- 
tions and  contents  to  be  completed  at  another  time. 

Service  of  Worship : 

Hymn  :     Giving  Thanks. 

Scripture  Reading  :  The  Memory  Work  for  the  month. 
The  children  should  be  able  to  say  the  greater  part  of  it  with 
you.  Speak  of  the  fruitful  trees  as  great  blessings  and  see 
how  many  you  can  name. 

Hymn:     America  the  Beautiful. 

Sermon  :  We  are  going  to  pray  the  prayer  that  Jesus 
taught  all  of  his  friends  to  say.  When  we  say,  "Give  us  this 
day  our  daily  bread,"  I  want  you  to  think  about  the  way  in 
which  God,  our  Father  in  heaven,  answers  that  prayer.  Think 
of  the  way  he  makes  the  grain  grow  and  of  all  the  flour  there 
is  in  those  tiny  brown  boxes  at  the  end  of  each  stalk !  Think 
of  the  sun  and  the  rain  and  the  good  soil  and  many  other 
things  that  make  it  grow,  so  that  in  the  end  it  is  ready  for  us 
to  eat,  and  very  good.  We  all  like  good  bread.  But  when 
we  say  "bread"  in  our  prayer  we  mean  food,  and  food  is  all 
manner  of  fruits,  vegetables,  and  the  other  good  things  that 
make  us  grow  and  keep  us  well.  We  have  food  every  day, 
even  when  we  do  not  remember  to  ask  for  it.  We  need  to 
remember  that,  and  to  say  our  thanks  with  our  whole  hearts 
very  often.  The  African  children  in  the  story  remembered  to 
say  "Thank  you,"  even  when  they  were  so  very  hungry. 
We  learned  a  "thank-you"  verse  to-day  and  now  we  will  say 
it  again.  (Repeat  Blessing.)  When  we  sing  about  "the  am- 
ber fields  of  grain"  and  "the  fruited  plains"  we  know  that  God 
is  great  and  good.  When  we  say,  "Give  us  this  day  our  daily 
bread,"  we  feel  sure  that  he  will,  and  sometimes  we  say  it  so 
often  that  we  do  not  think  about  what  we  are  saying.     The 


OUR  DAILY  BREAD  87 

Bible  tells  us  to  ask  God  for  what  we  want  "with  thanksgiv- 
ing." Shall  we  say  the  prayer  that  Jesus  taught,  now,  "with 
thanksgiving"  ? 

Prayer:     The   Lord's   Prayer.      Thanksgiving    Prayer — 
Lesson  IX. 

Hymn  :     Father,  We  Thank  Thee  (A  First  Book  in  Hymns 
and  Worship,  No.  15). 

"Can  a  little  child  like  me 
Thank  the  Father  fittingly? 
Yes,  oh,  yes,  be  good  and  true, 
Patient,  kind  in  all  you  do ; 
Love  the  Lord,  and  do  your  part ; 
Learn  to  say  with  all  your  heart, 

Refrain 

"Father,  we  thank  thee,  Father,  we  thank  thee, 
Father  in  heaven,  we  thank  thee. 

"For  the  fruit  upon  the  tree, 
For  the  birds  that  sing  of  thee, 
For  the  earth  in  beauty  dressed, 
Father,  mother,  and  the  rest, 
For  thy  precious,  loving  care, 
For  thy  bounty  ev'rywhere, 

"For  our  comrades  and  our  plays, 
And  our  happy  holidays, 
For  the  joyful  work  and  true 
That  a  little  child  can  do, 
For  our  lives  but  just  begun, 
For  the  great  gift  of  thy  Son." 

(The  Century  Company,  owners  of  copyright 
of  poem.    Used  by  permission.) 
Benediction  : 

"The  Lord  bless  us  and  keep  us ; 
The  Lord  make  his  face  to  shine  upon  us.     Amen." 


88     A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

Additional  Stories:  I.  "Philip's  Flour  Barrel,"  from 
Story-Telling  Time,  by  Frances  Weld  Danielson.  2.  "The 
Field,"  from  Tell  Me  Another  Story,  by  Carolyn  Sherwin 
Bailey. 


LESSON  XII 

ALL  MANNER  OF  PRECIOUS  FRUITS 

There  is  no  very  definite  sequence  in  these  autumn  lessons, 
for  the  reason  that  you  will  want  to  rearrange  them  according 
to  the  weather.  Those  of  us  who  can  teach  out  of  doors  will 
say  with  Dr.  Van  Dyke: 

"To  thee  I  turn,  to  thee  I  make  my  prayer, 
God  of  the  open  air." 

And  we  say  it  with  thanksgiving,  for  an  hour  out  of  doors 
with  the  children  on  a  beautiful  Indian  summer  day  is  a  great 
blessing. 

Teach  as  you  wander  down  the  road  together,  not  waiting 
for  a  more  formal  substitute  for  the  classroom.  Stop  often 
to  notice  many  things  that  are  familiar  to  all :  an  orchard  will 
remind  you  of  the  fruited  plain,  a  field  where  grain  has  been 
harvested,  roadside  flowers  and  the  seeds  and  small  berries 
that  God  seems  to  have  made  especially  for  the  birds  and 
animals.  These  are  fruits,  but  the  children  have  not  thought 
of  them  as  such.  They  are  "daily  bread"  for  the  birds.  Col- 
lect seeds,  plumed  grasses,  and  bright  berries  for  decorating 
the  classroom  and  for  small  bouquets  to  send  home  by  the 
children.  Let  your  destination  be  a  wood  where  you  can 
gather  nuts  with  which  to  fill  the  clay  bowls. 

By  the  time  you  have  found  a  good  place  for  telling  the 
story  you  will  have  a  number  of  interesting  objects  to  add  to 
your  collections. 

Children  love  to  walk  where  the  dried  leaves  lie  deep.  Add 
the  soft  rustle  to  the  pleasant  sounds  you  noted  in  Lesson  XI, 
and  repeat  the  verse,  "Praise  the  Lord  for  sounds  we  hear." 

89 


9o     A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

The  service  may  take  place  out  of  doors,  or  after  your  re- 
turn to  the  classroom.  If  you  are  not  able  to  leave  the  class- 
room for  this  lesson,  allow  the  usual  free  play  and  call  the 
class  to  order  with  the  music  of  "America  the  Beautiful/' 

Directed  Play:     Making  Pictures. 

Review  the  story  of  the  Children  of  Israel  told  in  Lesson 
IX,  and  ask  the  children  to  show  how  the  people  looked  back, 
frightened  when  they  heard  the  horses  coming;  how  Miriam 
played  upon  the  timbrel  and  the  harp ;  how  they  carried  water 
in  jars  on  their  shoulders  and  babies  in  their  arms.  The  chil- 
dren will  think  of  other  scenes,  and  you  may  guess  what  they 
are  showing. 

Story: 

As  the  Children  of  Israel  journeyed  they  came  near  a  land 
called  Canaan.  Moses  told  them  to  go  into  Canaan  and  live 
there,  but  the  children  of  Israel  were  afraid  and  drew  back. 
They  thought  that  there  might  be  a  wicked  king  ruling  over 
that  country  who  would  be  as  cruel  as  the  king  of  Egypt  had 
been.  They  asked  Moses  to  send  men  into  Canaan  to  spy 
out  the  land.  So  Moses  chose  the  men  whom  he  thought  he 
could  trust  and  said  to  them,  "Go  up  into  the  hill-country: 
and  see  the  land,  what  it  is ;  and  the  people  that  dwell  therein ; 
.  whether  they  are  few  or  many ;  and  what  the  land  is  that 
they  dwell  in,  whether  it  is  good  or  bad;  and  be  ye  of  good 
courage,  and  bring  of  the  fruit  of  the  land."  So  the  chosen 
men  went  into  the  land  of  Canaan,  and  the  Children  of  Israel 
camped  in  the  wilderness  near  by,  and  waited  for  them.  The 
men  who  were  chosen  to  go  into  Canaan  were  called  spies  be- 
cause they  went  to  spy  out  the  land.  They  went  to  the  cities 
to  see  the  people,  whether  they  looked  kind  or  cruel.  They 
walked  through  the  country  to  see  what  kinds  of  food  grew 
there.    Now,  the  time  was  the  time  when  the  grapes  were  ripe 


ALL  MANNER  OF  PRECIOUS  FRUITS  91 

on  the  vines,  and  when  the  spies  came  into  the  broad,  sunny 
valley  they  saw  a  wonderful  sight.  Grapes  were  growing  in 
the  valley  and  because  it  was  warm  and  sunny  there,  and  the 
earth  was  rich,  the  grapes  were  large — larger  and  more  beau- 
tiful than  the  spies  had  ever  seen  or  dreamed  about.  They 
stood  on  the  hillside  and  looked  and  wondered.  Then  they 
went  down  into  the  valley  and  did  as  Moses  had  asked  them 
to  do.  They  cut  a  great  cluster  of  grapes  from  the  vine  to 
carry  back  to  the  Children  of  Israel.  It  was  so  large  and  so 
heavy  that  two  men  carried  it  on  a  staff,  between  them.  There 
were  fig  trees  too  in  that  valley  and  the  figs  were  purple  and 
shaped  like  pears.  After  the  spies  found  this  wonderful  fruit, 
the  valley  was  called  Eshcol,  for  "Eshcol"  means  cluster  in 
the  language  of  that  country. 

The  men  returned  from  spying  out  the  land  to  the  camp 
where  Moses  and  the  Children  of  Israel  were  waiting  for 
them.  The  people  looked  in  wonder  at  the  beautiful  fruit, 
and  longed  to  taste  it.  They  said,  "Let  us  go  up  at  once  and 
possess  the  land!"  but  the  spies  shook  their  heads.  "Giants 
live  in  that  land,"  they  said,  "and  we  were  as  grasshoppers 
compared  with  them."  Then  the  Children  of  Israel  were 
afraid  and  would  not  go.  They  cried  and  were  disappointed 
and  sorrowful,  and  they  complained  again  because  Moses  had 
brought  them  into  the  wilderness.  Then  God  talked  to  Moses, 
as  he  always  did  when  the  people  were  in  trouble  and  Moses 
needed  help.  God  said  to  Moses,  "Because  these  people  have 
disobeyed  and  will  not  believe  that  I  will  keep  my  promises  to 
them,  they  must  turn  back  into  the  wilderness,  instead  of 
going  into  Canaan."  When  Moses  told  the  Children  of 
Israel  what  God  had  said  they  were  sorry  for  what  they  had 
done,  but  they  went  back  into  the  wilderness  again  and  wan- 
dered and  wandered.  There  are  more  stories  about  the  things 
that  happened  to  them  there.  Some  day  I  will  tell  them  to 
you. 


92     A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

Note:  Do  the  children  know  what  the  wilderness  was?  and 
do  they  know  anything  about  a  desert  place?  Susan  Coolidge 
writes :  "I  once  asked  a  party  of  children  the  meaning  of  the 
word  'desert,'  and  all  but  one  shouted,  'Rice  pudding  and 
oranges !'  " 

Activity : 

Cutting  and  folding  baskets.  Draw  the  baskets  as  outlined 
in  the  diagram,  enlarging  the  circle  to  about  seven  inches  in 
diameter.  Draw  the  dotted  lines  as  indicated  and  fold,  bring- 
ing the  handles  together.  You  will  have  a  pretty  basket  to 
decorate  in  any  way  the  children  prefer.  Pictures  of  fruit 
can  be  cut  from  seed  catalogs  and  advertisements  and  mounted 
on  the  sides,  or  fruit  can  be  drawn  and  colored.  The 
name  of  the  friend  for  whom  the  basket  is  made  can  be  let- 
tered on  one  side  of  the  basket  or  the  initials  used,  printed 
with  colored  chalk.  The  baskets  may  be  put  away  to  be  taken 
home  at  another  time — perhaps  after  the  next  lesson;  or, 
if  you  have  something  to  put  in  them,  they  may  be  taken  to- 
day. A  little  story  about  children  clipped  from  a  magazine, 
or  the  Blessing  (Lesson  XI)  typed  on  a  small  sheet  of  paper, 
would  be  good  things  to  put  into  the  baskets,  if  they  are  to 
be  given  to  the  mothers  of  the  children.  You  may  have  time 
to  color  the  bowls  to-day.  It  will  be  simple  enough  if 
you  decide  on  one  color  for  all.  Blue  is  the  most  successful 
tint  to  use  on  the  gray  clay.  You  will  need  a  little  blue  dye 
in  a  cup,  and  two  or  three  soft  brushes.  Work  on  news- 
papers carefully  spread  or  the  oilcloth  covers  on  the  tables. 
Stand  the  bowls  away  again  to  dry,  and  if  the  color  runs  in 
streaks  or  shades  from  dark  to  light,  as  often  happens,  the 
bowls  will  be  all  the  more  interesting.  One  more  process:  a 
coat  of  varnish  is  necessary  before  the  bowls  are  ready  to 
carry  their  burden  of  nuts  to  the  Thanksgiving  feast.  Use  a 
varnish  or  shellac  that  has  a  great  deal  of  dryer  in  it. 


ALL  MANNER  OF  PRECIOUS  FRUITS 


93 


Service  of  Worship: 

Hymn:     Father,  We  Thank  Thee. 

Scripture  Reading  :     The  Memory  Work  for  the  month. 
(Recited  by  the  children.)     Read  Numbers  13.  23. 

Prayer  (see  Lesson  IX). 

Hymn:     We  Thank  Thee. 

Blessing. 

Benediction. 


□ 


Cut  on  the  black  lines,  crease  on  the  dotted  lines,  and  fold  the  ends  in. 
(By  permission  of  the  Baptist  Publication  Society,  Philadelphia.) 


LESSON  XIII 
RAIN  FOR  THE  EARTH 

This  is  a  good  lesson  for  a  rainy  day.  If  it  rains,  the  chil- 
dren will  appreciate  the  physical  exercise  that  comes  with  the 
period  of  free  play,  and  it  may  enlighten  you  to  note,  without 
comment,  what  they  do  with  this  time.  Is  it  a  rorrfping  time, 
and  are  the  children  rude  or  rough?  If  the  play  reflects  some- 
thing of  the  teaching  that  you  have  done,  and  the  stories  are 
dramatized  or  your  games  are  preferred  to  street  games,  you 
have  taught  well.  If  the  play  is  worth  while  as  a  review,  al- 
low any  games  or  dramatizations  to  be  satisfactorily  ended, 
even  though  it  takes  more  than  the  allotted  time. 

Call  the  children  to  the  table  to  shellac  the  bowls  before  the 
story  period. 

Story: 

Once,  long  ago,  a  boy  named  Ishmael  lived  in  a  tent  with 
his  mother.  His  mother's  name  was  Hagar.  Hagar  had  come 
from  Egypt,  the  country  where  Moses  was  born,  and  where 
the  Children  of  Israel  were  so  unhappy  before  God  helped 
Moses  to  lead  them  away.  There  were  other  tents  near  the 
one  in  which  Hagar  and  Ishmael  lived,  and  in  one  of  them 
lived  Abraham  and  Sarah  his  wife.  Hagar  was  one  of  the 
people  who  worked  for  Sarah  and  Abraham.  She  cooked 
their  food  and  brought  water  from  the  well  when  they  were 
thirsty.  Hagar  was  happy  while  Ishmael  was  a  little  boy, 
for  everybody  loved  and  petted  him,  and  she  loved  to  watch 
him  as  he  played  in  the  sand.  She  loved  to  hush  him  to  sleep 
in  her  arms  when  night  came.  But  when  Ishmael  was  quite 
a  big  boy  a  baby  came  to  Sarah  and  Abraham,  and  every  one 

94 


RAIN  FOR  THE  EARTH  95 

loved  him.  Ishmael  was  unhappy.  You  would  have 
thought  that  Ishmael  would  have  loved  the  new  baby 
too,  but  he  did  not,  for  he  wanted  all  the  love  and 
petting,  just  as  he  had  it  before  the  new  baby  came. 
Sarah  and  Abraham  named  the  new  baby  Isaac.  One  day  they 
made  a  feast,  and  every  one  who  came  to  the  feast  saw  the 
little  baby  and  loved  him ;  but  Sarah  saw  that  Ishmael  did  not 
love  him  but  treated  him  very  unkindly.  Sarah  told  Abraham, 
and  they  were  sad  about  it,  for  they  knew  that  Ishmael  hated 
Isaac,  and  that  they  could  not  live  together  and  be  good  or 
happy. 

Early  the  next  morning  Abraham  took  bread  and  gave  it  to 
Hagar.  He  put  a  bottle  of  water  on  her  shoulder.  Hagar 
knew  when  Abraham  did  that  that  she  was  to  go  away  and  find 
a  new  home.  She  took  Ishmael's  hand  in  hers  and  they  went 
away  into  the  wilderness.  In  those  days  people  sometimes 
wandered  over  the  desert,  ever  so  many  families  together,  and 
they  were  called  wandering  tribes.  The  tribes  went  about  from 
one  spring  of  water  to  another,  camping  under  the  trees  that 
grew  about  the  spring,  until  the  dates  that  grew  on  the  trees 
were  all  eaten  or  the  spring  dried  up.  Then  they  packed  up 
their  bedding  and  their  rugs  and  wandered  away,  with  their 
camels  and  their  sheep,  to  another  spring.  Hagar  hoped  that 
she  and  Ishmael  would  meet  one  of  these  tribes.  They  could 
join  the  wanderers  and  go  on  with  them.  Hagar  looked  across 
the  sand  in  every  direction,  but  she  did  not  see  a  tent  or  a 
camel  or  anything  that  she  would  have  seen  if  there  had  been 
a  wandering  tribe  passing  by.  She  looked  and  looked  for  tall 
palm  trees,  but  she  did  not  see  anything  but  sand  and  dry 
bushes.    As  far  as  she  could  see  there  was  nothing  else. 

Hagar  and  Ishmael  walked  and  walked  until  they  were  very 
tired  and  the  hot  sun  beat  upon  their  heads.  They  were  very 
thirsty.  Again  and  again  Hagar  took  the  bottle  of  water 
from  her  shoulder  and  held  it  so  that  Ishmael  could  drink. 


96     A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

And  then,  after  a  while,  Ishmael  ran  to  his  mother  and  asked 
for  another  drink — and  the  bottle  was  empty !  Ishmael  cried 
for  water,  but  there  was  none  for  him.  Hagar  shaded  her  eyes 
with  her  hand  and  looked  anxiously  for  a  spring.  She  saw 
no  green  palm  trees  with  their  great  leaves  held  high  in  the  air 
to  tell  people  that  a  spring  bubbled  up  at  their  roots,  for  every- 
body knew  that  there  could  not  be  a  palm  tree  where  there  was 
no  water.  All  plants  need  water,  and  there  is  very  little  rain 
in  that  desert  place. 

When  Ishmael  had  been  thirsty  a  long  time  he  grew  so  ill 
that  he  could  not  walk  or  speak  to  his  mother.  Hagar  laid  him 
on  the  sand  in  the  shade  of  a  dry,  brown  bush.  She  sat  near 
where  she  could  watch  him,  and  it  made  her  so  sad  to  see  Ish- 
mael ill  that  she  cried  and  covered  her  face  with  her  hands. 
She  heard  Ishmael  crying  for  water.  Hagar  closed  her  eyes 
and  asked  God  to  help  her.  O  how  much  she  needed  to  be 
helped !  When  she  opened  her  eyes  and  looked  around,  she 
saw  something  that  she  had  not  noticed  before.  Some  of  the 
bushes  not  far  from  the  place  where  Ishmael  lay  were  green ! 
She  had  thought  that  they  were  all  of  them  dry  and  brown. 
Hagar  knew  that  water  must  be  near  where  bushes  were  green, 
so  she  ran,  and  there,  sure  enough,  under  the  bushes,  was  a 
spring  of  water  bubbling  up  through  the  sand! 

Hagar  filled  the  bottle  with  cool  water  and  ran  to  Ishmael. 
She  gave  him  a  drink  and  bathed  his  hot  head  and  his  hands. 
How  much  better  he  must  have  felt !  Soon  he  was  well,  and 
on  they  went  together,  until  one  day  they  saw  a  sight  that 
made  them  glad.  Away  off  they  saw  a  long  procession  of 
camels  carrying  great  bundles,  and  men  and  women — yes,  and 
children  too — walking.  It  was  a  wandering  tribe  at  last! 
Hagar  and  Ishmael  watched  the  tribe  come  nearer  and  nearer. 
When  the  people  saw  how  tired  and  lonely  Hagar  and  Ishmael 
were  they  invited  them  to  join  the  tribe  and  wander  on  with 
them.     Now  Hagar  and  Ishmael  were  happy.     There  were 


RAIN  FOR  THE  EARTH 


97 


boys  with  whom  Ishmael  worked  and  played.  The  people  were 
kind  to  Hagar  and  she  found  that  some  of  them  had  come 
from  Egypt,  where  she  had  lived  when  she  was  a  little  girl. 
Now  Hagar  was  happy,  and  Ishmael  was  happy,  too. 

Ishmael  grew  tall,  and  he  was  very  strong.  He  could  see 
far  and  aim  straight.  The  men  and  boys  in  the  tribe  shot 
with  bows  and  arrows,  and  people  who  shoot  with  bows  and 
arrows  are  called  archers.  The  Bible  says  that  Ishmael  was 
the  best  archer  in  the  tribe. 

Activity : 

Give  each  child  a  square  of  dark-blue  coated  paper  and 

seven  small  gummed 
silver  stars.  Draw  on 
the  blackboard  the  dia- 
gram given  here,  repre- 
senting the  dipper.  The 
children  are  to  paste 
the  stars  in  the  right 
positions  and  draw  the 
dipper  with  white 
chalk;  but  first  they 
will  need  to  know 
something  about  the 
The  Dipper  sky  in  November. 

A  Talk: 

Do  you  remember  the  story  of  the  Flood  ?  And  about  Noah 
and  his  ark?  Do  you  know  what  God  promised  when  the 
Flood  was  over?  That  there  never  would  be  such  another  great 
Flood  as  that,  and  he  set  the  rainbow  in  the  sky  to  remind 
people  of  his  promise.  There  are  stars  iri  the  sky  that  remind 
us  of  things  that  we  are  glad  to  remember  if  we  look  up  in 
the  sky  at  night.    If  the  rain  stops  and  the  sky  clears  to-night 


98    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

before  you  go  to  bed,  take  to  the  window  or  out  of  doors 
this  picture  of  the  stars  that  we  are  going  to  make  and  see  if 
you  can  find  the  dipper.  For  it  is  a  picture  of  a  dipper  if  you 
draw  from  one  star  to  another.  The  thing  to  remember  when 
you  find  the  dipper  in  the  sky  is  a  part  of  our  memory  work. 

"Who  covereth  the  heaven  with  clouds, 
Who  prepareth  rain  for  the  earth." 

If  the  rain  does  not  stop,  say  the  verses  to-night  as  you  look 
out  at  the  rain.  To-morrow  it  may  be  clear,  and  then  you  can 
find  the  dipper  when  the  darkness  comes  and  we  can  see  the 
stars.  Dippers  remind  us  of  cool,  fresh  water  that  God  gives 
us  to  drink. 

Have  the  children  lay  the  stars  on  the  paper,  and  when 
they  are  in  about  the  right  positions  paste  them  and  draw  the 
line  of  the  dipper  from  star  to  star.  Recall  the  verses  learned 
in  October,  "My  Star  Time  Prayer"  (Lesson  IV). 

If  the  star  lesson  is  not  practical  for  you,  make  drinking 
cups  after  a  pattern  of  your  own  or  follow  the  directions  given 
in  A  First  Primary  Book  in  Religion,  Lesson  XVII. 

Service  of  Worship: 

Hymn  :     Twinkle,  Twinkle,  Little  Star. 

Scripture  Reading:  The  Memory  Work  for  these  les- 
sons on  thanksgiving  and  also  the  verses  learned  last  month. 

Prayer  (see  Lesson  IX). 

Hymn:     America  the  Beautiful. 

Benediction  (see  Lesson  IX). 

Additional  Material:  "The  Legend  of  the  Great  Dipper," 
in  Stories  for  Kindergartens  and  Primary  Schools,  by  Sara  E. 
Wiltse,  and  in  many  collections  of  stories. 


RAIN  FOR  THE  EARTH  99 

For  the  Teacher: 

Hagar 

"Said  Hagar:  'Nay,  I  cannot  see  him  die, 
My  little  lad,  my  dear,  my  only  one.' 
For  bread  and  water  failed  her,  sheer  on  high 
Shone,  hot  and  horrible,  the  desert  sun. 

"That  tiny  cry  wailed  ever  in  her  ears : 

She  lifted  up  her  voice  and  wept ;  she  said : 
'His  father  loved  us  not.'    The  happy  years 
In  Egypt  ran  like  music  in  her  head. 

"Ishmael,  the  archer,  shaggy,  strong,  and  wild, 
For  a  great  end  was  saved  that  bitter  day. 
He  who  was  but  a  perishing,  wee  child, 

Through  mother-love  was  snatched  from  death  away. 

"And  Hagar  was  full  happy;  who  can  know 

The  feel  of  bliss  like  one  who  once  was  sad? 
Hagar  was  happy,  as  she  watched  upgrow 
To  might  and  masterhood  her  tender  lad. 

"And  in  old  age — great  time  of  memories — 
How  oft  she  must  have  sat  beside  some  well 
Of  water,  set  about  with  slender  trees, 
And  mused  on  Abraham  and  Ishmael !" 

(Richard  Burton.  From  Message  and  Melody.  By 
permission  The  Lothrop,  Lee  and  Shepard  Company, 
Boston,  Massachusetts.) 


LESSON  XIV 
"ALL  THINGS  BRIGHT  AND  BEAUTIFUL" 

After  a  short  period  of  free  play  the  children  may  sit  at 
the  table  and  close  their  eyes  waiting  for  a  signal  from  you 
before  they  open  them.  While  the  eyes  are  closed  place  some 
beautiful  things  on  the  table.  A  piece  of  richly  colored  ma- 
terial, an  orange,  an  amber  bead,  a  lovely  picture,  a  red  leaf, 
or  anything  that  suggests  itself  to  you  as  being  not  only 
beautiful  but  interesting  from  the  children's  point  of  view. 
When  the  objects  on  the  table  have  been  examined  say  some- 
thing about  each  one. 

Amber:  To  grown  people  amber  is  fossil  resin.  To  the 
children  it  is  the  sticky  sap  that  runs  through  trees,  the  sort  of 
thing  that  Moses'  mother  smeared  between  the  cracks  of  his 
cradle  boat  to  keep  the  water  out.  The  sap  hardens,  and  when 
it  has  been  in  the  old  tree  for  years  and  years,  somebody  finds 
it  and  it  is — amber!  We  sing  about  "Amber  fields  of  grain." 
The  fields  are  shiny  and  yellow,  very  much  like  amber,  when 
the  grain  is  ready  to  be  cut.  Amber  is  beautiful,  and  so  are  the 
fields  of  grain. 

Orange:  The  orange  is  like  sunshine  too,  and  is  of  a  lovely, 
round  shape.  We  all  like  balls  to  play  with — and  this  is  a  good 
kind  of  ball,  for  we  can  eat  it,  and  it  is  just  as  beautiful  inside 
as  it  is  outside.  (Peel  and  quarter  the  orange  and  give  each 
child  a  section.) 

Red  leaf:  Note  the  colors  and  the  markings — hold  the  leaf 
up  to  the  light  and  see  how  beautiful  it  is  when  the  light 
shines  through  it. 

"Forgetting  oneself  in  the  contemplation  of  beauty  is  to  pass 
through  a  sacred  experience  which  will  glorify  the  whole  of 
ioo 


"ALL  THINGS  BRIGHT  AND  BEAUTIFUL"     101 

life."  There  may  be  "spacious  skies"  and  an  infinite  number 
of  lovely  things  to  be  seen  from  the  window,  and  in  the  most 
unpromising  city  prospect  there  is  something  to  be  enjoyed. 
Public  buildings  should  be  pointed  out,  and  if  there  is  a  li- 
brary near  and  the  weather  is  good,  you  cannot  put  fifteen 
minutes  of  your  time  to  a  better  use  than  going  to  see  it.  Leave 
the  objects  on  the  table  for  use  later  and  tell  the  story. 

Story: 

A  blind  man  sat  by  the  roadside  begging.  He  begged  be- 
cause he  could  not  see  to  work,  and  he  was  very  poor  and  sad. 
It  was  a  beautiful,  bright  day,  but  the  blind  man  did  not  see 
the  spacious  sky  and  the  lovely  fields  bright  with  grass  and 
flowers.  He  could  hear  the  birds  sing  and  talk  together,  but 
he  could  not  know  that  they  were  red  and  blue  and  yellow  and 
very  pretty  to  watch.  Children  passed  by,  and  he  could  hear 
their  talk  and  their  laughter,  but  he  did  not  see  their  faces. 

As  the  blind  man  sat  by  the  roadside  he  heard  a  sound  of 
many  voices  in  the  distance.  The  sounds  came  nearer  and 
nearer  and  he  heard  many  footsteps.  He  knew  that  a  great 
crowd  of  people  were  coming  down  the  road. 

When  the  people  were  so  near  that  their  long  cloaks  brushed 
against  him  the  blind  man  called  out,  "Who  goes  by  that  so 
many  follow?"  And  the  people  told  him,  "Jesus  of  Nazareth 
passeth  by."  The  blind  man  had  heard  about  Jesus'  love  and 
kindness,  and  he  called  in  a  loud  voice,  "Jesus,  have  mercy  on 
me !"  But  the  people  scolded  him  for  calling  to  Jesus  and 
said,  "Hold  thy  peace!"  The  blind  man  did  not  listen  to  the 
people,  but  called  again,  louder  than  before,  "Have  mercy  on 
me !"  Jesus  heard  him.  When  he  saw  the  blind  man  sitting 
there  beside  the  road  he  was  sorry.  It  made  Jesus  feel  very 
sad  that  there  were  eyes  that  could  not  see  the  things  that  he 
saw  that  sunny  day.  When  the  people  found  that  Jesus  wanted 
to  speak  to  the  blind  man  they  led  him  to  Jesus,  and  Jesus  said, 


102     A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

"What  wilt  thou  that  I  should  do  unto  thee?"  The  blind  man 
said,  "Lord,  that  my  eyes  may  be  made  to  see!"  When  Jesus 
heard  that,  he  knew  that  the  blind  man  believed  that  he  could 
make  him  see.  That  is  having  faith,  and  Jesus  was  glad  and 
said,  "Receive  thy  sight."  Now  the  blind  man  could  see!  He 
was  no  longer  blind.  He  did  not  need  to  be  led  about  by  his 
friends.  He  looked  and  saw  Jesus  standing  there!  He  saw 
the  people  who  had  followed  Jesus  and  the  children  crowding 
in  among  them.  The  world  was  very  beautiful  that  day,  and 
when  Jesus  walked  on,  the  crowd  followed.  The  man  who 
had  been  blind  went  too,  and  as  he  went  he  was  so  thankful 
that  he  glorified  God  and  sang  praises  unto  his  name.  His 
heart  was  very  full  of  thanksgiving  and  every  beautiful  thing 
that  he  saw  made  him  happier  than  he  was  before. 

When  the  crowd  of  people  saw  what  Jesus  had  done  they 
too  were  glad,  and  as  they  followed  him  they  sang  praises  of 
thanksgiving  unto  God. 

(Recall  the  story  of  "Little  Trot."  Show  that  children  can 
help  and  that  when  they  lend  their  eyes  or  their  hands  to  those 
who  need  them  they  are  true  friends,  and  are  doing  what  Jesus 
would  want  them  to  do.) 

Activity : 

Use  the  dramatization  of  the  street  scenes  (Lesson  III). 

Shellac  the  bowls,  using  a  good  varnish  with  a  great  deal  of 
dryer  in  it.  This  will  make  the  bowls  useful  for  holding  nuts 
or  fruit.  They  will  not  be  dry  enough  to  be  taken  home  to-day, 
however.  If  bowls  have  not  been  made,  mount  typed  copies 
of  the  Blessing  (see  Lesson  XI)  on  small  cards  to  be  taken 
home. 

Service  of  Worship : 

Hymn:  All  Things  Bright  and  Beautiful  (A  First  Book 
of  Hymns  and  Worship,  No.  44). 


"ALL  THINGS  BRIGHT  AND  BEAUTIFUL"     103 

"All  things  bright  and  beautiful, 

All  things  great  and  small, 
All  things  wise  and  wonderful, 

Our  Father  made  them  all. 
Each  little  flow'r  that  opens, 

Each  little  bird  that  sings, 
He  made  their  glowing  colors, 

He  made  their  tiny  wings. 

"Cold  wind  in  the  winter, 

Pleasant  summer  sun, 
Ripe  fruits  in  the  garden, 

He  made  them  ev'ry  one. 
He  gave  us  eyes  to  see  them, 

And  lips  that  we  might  tell 
How  good  is  God  our  Father, 

Who  doeth  all  things  well." 

Scripture  Reading:     The  Memory  Work. 

Poem  : 

"Praise  to  God  for  things  we  see, 
The  growing  flower,  the  waving  tree, 
Our  mother's  face,  the  bright  blue  sky, 
Where  birds  and  clouds  come  floating  by — 
Praise  to  God  for  seeing."  (Hetty  Lee.) 

Hymn  :     We  Thank  Thee. 

Prayer  (see  Lesson  IX). 

Hymn:     America  the  Beautiful. 

Benediction. 

For  the  Teacher:    "My  greatest  success,"  said  Louis  Agas- 
siz,  "is  that  I  have  trained  fine  observers." 


LESSON  XV 

REVIEW 

Christmas  preparations  will  take  so  much  time  that  one 
of  the  November  lessons  has  been  added  to  the  December 
group.  Therefore  this  will  be  a  review  of  the  Thanksgiving 
lessons,  and  it  should  be  full  of  interest  since  there  is  so  much 
material  to  use.  In  all  reviews  the  Bible  stories  should  be 
given  the  preference.  The  stories  from  the  Bible  are  so  strong 
that  they  will  live  through  any  number  of  repetitions  and  still 
interest.  They  are  wonderful  in  power  to  remain  fresh  and 
fascinating,  because  something  always  remains  to  be  learned 
after  many  tellings.  In  fact,  stories  cannot  teach  if  told  only 
once,  and  the  good  teacher  understands  and  reviews  many 
times. 

An  Hour  of  Thanksgiving 

Hymn:  We  Thank  Thee. 

Stories:    (see  Lessons  IX  and  XII,  or  XII  and  XIV). 

Poem:       "Praise  the  Lord  for  sounds  we  hear, 
Voices  of  our  playmates  dear, 
Merry  bells  and  songs  of  birds, 
Stories,  tunes  and  kindly  words, 
Praise  the  Lord  for  hearing. 

"Praise  to  God  for  things  we  see, 
The  growing  flower,  the  waving  tree, 
Our  mother's  face,  the  bright  blue  sky, 
Where  birds  and  clouds  come  floating  by — 
Praise  to  God  for  seeing." 

(Hetty  Lee,  in  Christian  Nurture  Lessons.  Used 
by  permission  of  The  Morehouse  Publishing 
Company. ) 

104 


REVIEW  105 

Activity: 

Pictures  drawn  on  the  blackboard  that  recall  stories  and 
songs. 

Finish  any  articles  that  have  been  left  half  done  and  arrange 
cabinet  with  the  idea  of  finding  out  what  material  you  have  for 
Christmas  gifts.  Put  a  few  nuts  in  each  bowl  and  give  them 
to  the  children  to  take  home. 

The  Memory  Work: 

The  children  should  be  able  to  repeat  the  Thanksgiving  se- 
lection without  help. 

Prayer: 

The  prayer  of  thanksgiving  used  with  these  lessons  fol- 
lowed by  the  Lord's  Prayer. 

Hymn:  America  the  Beautiful. 

Benediction. 

(Call  attention  to  the  mite  box.) 

Additional  Stories:  1.  "Thanksgiving  Story,"  Kinder- 
garten Stories  and  Morning  Talks,  Sara  E.  Wiltse.  2.  "How 
Patty  Gave  Thanks,"  "The  Thrifty  Squirrels,"  In  the  Child's 
World,  Emilie  Poulsson.  3.  "The  Little  Lame  Squirrel," 
Christian  Nurture  Teacher's  Manual,  Young  Churchman  Com- 
pany. 4.  "Much  and  More,"  The  Golden  Goblet,  Jay  T. 
Stocking. 

Note:  If  pictures  are  to  be  a  part  of  your  Christmas  lesson, 
it  is  time  to  order  them.  You  may  be  able  to  borrow  some  of 
them  from  a  teacher  of  elementary  grades  in  your  Sunday  school. 
There  are  good  pictures  in  some  of  the  Christmas  numbers  of 
magazines  and  papers.  The  W.  A.  Wilde  Company,  120 
Boylston  Street,  Boston,  Massachusetts,  will  send  you  a  catalog 


106    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

on  request  with  the  prices  of  the  pictures  and  instructions  for 
ordering. 

If  the  stereopticon  can  be  used,  you  can  show  more  pictures 
than  are  listed  here.  You  will  find  slides  in  sets  of  Christmas 
subjects  at  your  denominational  headquarters  and  also  wherever 
machines  are  sold  or  rented.  Do  not  show  all  of  the  pictures  in 
these  sets,  but  select  the  best.  There  are  stereopticons  owned  by 
boys,  and  the  Scouts  will  help  you  to  find  one.  The  owner  will 
be  glad  to  run  it  for  you. 

Christmas  Pictures 

The  Sistine  Madonna. 

Sheep  and  Shepherds  (several  pictures). 

The  Angels  and  the  Shepherds. 

Pastures  and  Sheep  (several  pictures). 

The  Nativity. 

The  Wise  Men  on  the  Desert  (showing  camels). 

The  Wise  Men  in  Jerusalem. 

The  Adoration  of  the  Wise  Men. 


III.    LOVE'S  LESSONS 

XVI.  Christmas  Plans. 

XVII.  Carols  and  Pictures. 

XVIII.  The  Annunciation. 

XIX.  The  Birth  of  Jesus  Christ. 

XX.  The  Visit  of  the  Wise  Men. 

XXI.  Review. 

XXII.  Christmas  Service. 

XXIII.  The  Flight  into  Egypt. 

XXIV.  Review. 

"After  all,  Christmas-living  is  the  best  kind  of  Christmas- 
giving." — Henry  van  Dyke. 

Love  never  faileth. — i  Corinthians  13.  8. 

The  Memory  Work  : 

And  there  were  shepherds  in  the  same  country  abiding  in  the 
field,  keeping  watch  by  night  over  their  flock.  And  an  angel  of 
the  Lord  stood  by  them,  and  the  glory  of  the  Lord  shone  round 
about  them :  and  they  were  sore  afraid.  And  the  angel  said 
unto  them,  Be  not  afraid;  for  behold,  I  bring  you  good  tidings 
of  great  joy  which  shall  be  to  all  the  people :  for  there  is  born 
to  you  this  day  in  the  city  of  David  a  Saviour,  who  is  Christ 
the  Lord.  And  this  is  the  sign  unto  you :  Ye  shall  find  a  babe 
wrapped  in  swaddling  clothes,  and  lying  in  a  manger.  And 
suddenly  there  was  with  the  angel  a  multitude  of  the  heav- 
enly host  praising  God  and  saying : 

Glory  to  God  in  the  highest, 

And  on  earth  peace  among  men.  .  .  . 

And  it  came  to  pass,  when  the  angels  went  away  from  them 
into  heaven,  the  shepherds  said  one  to  another,  Let  us  now  go 
even  unto  Bethlehem,  and  see  this  thing  that  is  come  to  pass, 
which  the  Lord  hath  made  known  unto  us. 

And  they  came  with  haste,  and  found  Mary  and  Joseph, 
and  the  babe  lying  in  the  manger. — Luke  2.  8-16. 


LESSON  XVI 

CHRISTMAS  PLANS 

"So  Christmas  and  Thanksgiving  clasp 

Their  hands  and  brightly  bridge  December. 
Close  met  within  that  heartfelt  grasp 
All  friends  One  Friend  remember." 

(Lucy  Larcom.) 

If  you  can  take  the  children  to  a  pine  wood  for  this  lesson, 
by  all  means  do  so.  There  may  not  be  another  opportunity  for 
an  out-of-door  lesson  before  spring  and  even  on  a  cold  day  the 
cones  could  be  gathered  in  baskets  and  the  service  enjoyed 
later,  in  the  warmth  of  the  classroom.  For  the  teachers  whose 
work  lies  far  from  pine  trees  another  plan  is  offered.  This 
lesson  is  placed  in  the  group  of  Thanksgiving  lessons  as  being 
appropriate  in  thought  and  also  because  you  will  need  time  if 
the  cones  are  to  be  sent  to  you  from  a  distance. 

A  Talk: 

Now  that  Thanksgiving  Day  has  come  and  gone,  we  will 
begin  to  get  ready  for  Christmas.  Christmas  is  the  most  beau- 
tiful and  the  most  wonderful  time  in  the  whole  year,  and  we 
must  plan  for  it  in  a  very  special  way.  In  the  first  place,  we 
are  going  to  be  just  as  helpful  as  we  can  be,  in  every  way. 
That  means  that  we  are  going  to  help  to  make  Christmas  a 
happier  time  for  as  many  people  as  we  can.  Of  course  if  we  do 
that,  we  will  have  to  work  hard,  and  to-day  we  are  going  to 
make  some  plans.  There  is  a  story  about  some  children  who 
did  one  of  the  things  that  you  may  like  to  do,  so  I  will  tell  you 
that  story,  and  then  we  will  talk  about  it  and  see  what  we 
can  do. 

109 


no    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

Story:  The  Silver  Cones. 

Long  ago  in  another  country  far  away  there  lived  a  miner 
and  his  six  children.  The  miner  was  a  poor  man,  and  some- 
times he  had  a  hard  time  to  get  enough  porridge  and  milk  for 
all.  The  children  were  often  hungry,  and  the  cottage  was 
small,  and  yet,  one  cold  night  when  a  little  stranger  child  came 
wandering  by,  they  took  her  in. 

"She  shall  have  half  of  my  porridge!"  said  one  of  the 
children. 

"She  shall  sleep  in  my  bed !"  said  another. 

And  they  made  room  for  her  before  the  fire,  and  rubbed  her 
cold  hands.  The  little  stranger  child  was  very  happy  with  the 
miner's  children,  and  they  called  her  Hilda. 

When  the  snow  was  deep  and  every  pine  tree  in  the  forest 
held  a  wreath  of  snow  upon  its  branches,  the  children  told  each 
other  stories  about  Santa  Claus,  and  they  hoped  that  he  might 
find  their  cottage  in  his  Christmas  Eve  journey  around  the 
world.  Some  of  the  children  were  afraid  that  he  might  not 
find  it,  for  the  cottage  was  very  small  and  almost  hidden  among 
the  pine  trees. 

Hilda  and  the  miner's  children  worked  hard  every  day. 
They  gathered  wood  for  the  fire  on  the  hearth ;  they  swept  the 
cottage  and  gave  their  goat  a  fresh  straw  bed.  They  stirred 
the  porridge  and  kept  the  fire  bright,  and  at  last  the  day  be- 
fore Christmas  came.  Hilda  was  planning  a  happy  time  for 
the  miner's  children,  but  it  was  to  be  a  surprise,  so  they  did 
not  know  about  it.  Late  in  the  afternoon  Hilda  started  out 
with  her  basket  to  gather  fagots  for  the  fire.  She  did  this 
every  day,  but  to-day  she  hoped  to  bring  home  some  sweets 
for  the  children  to  eat  as  they  listened  to  the  Christmas  stories 
around  the  fire.  Hilda  had  no  money,  but  she  thought,  "I  will 
fill  my  basket  with  the  largest  cones  that  I  can  find,  and 
perhaps  a  servant  from  the  castle  will  pass  by  and  give  me  a 


CHRISTMAS  PLANS  in 

penny  for  them.  The  cones  would  make  the  Christmas  fire  at 
the  castle  bright  and  pretty.  Then  I  could  run  to  the  village 
and  get  the  sweets,  and  what  a  lovely  surprise  that  would  be 
for  the  children  who  have  been  so  good  to  me !" 

As  Hilda  gathered  the  cones  she  thought  of  the  stories  she 
had  heard  about  the  Forest  Fairy.  She  knew  that  he  was 
jolly  and  kind  and  that  he  loved  all  children  who  were  loving 
and  gentle.  Just  as  she  was  wishing  that  he  would  come  and 
help  her  make  a  happy  Christmas  for  the  miner's  children 
she  heard  someone  say,  "May  you  tell  a  merry  tale,  to  go  with 
the  fire  of  cones  to-night,  little  one !" 

Hilda  turned,  and  there  stood  a  little  man  in  a  red  cap  and 
a  green  cloak.  He  was  looking  at  her  basket,  which  was  nearly 
half  full  of  cones. 

"O,  dear  Christmas  fairy,"  said  Hilda — for  she  knew  him 
at  once — "we  are  going  to  have  a  merry  time  in  the  miner's 
cottage  to-night.  I  am  gathering  the  largest  cones  for  the 
Christmas  fire,  and  while  they  burn  I  am  going  to  tell  the 
Christmas  stories,  and  a  lovely  new  one  that  the  children  have 
never  heard.  That  will  make  them  happy,  I  know.  If  I  had 
a  penny,  I  would  buy  sweets  for  them,  for  they  have  been  so 
good  to  me." 

"The  snow  covers  the  cones,"  said  the  Forest  Fairy,  "and 
it  is  hard  to  find  them.  But  there  is  a  tree  over  there" — and 
he  pointed  to  the  tallest  tree  in  the  forest — "where  the  cones 
are  large.  They  will  make  a  very  bright  fire."  Hilda  looked 
where  he  pointed,  and  when  she  turned  to  thank  him  the  Forest 
Fairy  was  gone. 

Hilda  went  over  the  snow  to  the  tree  that  was  the  largest 
to  gather  the  cones,  and  as  she  went  a  breeze  shook  the 
branches  of  the  tree  and  great  cones,  the  largest  Hilda  had 
ever  seen,  fell  in  a  shower  upon  the  snow.  It  was  easy  to 
gather  them,  and  soon  Hilda's  basket  was  so  full  that  she 
could  not  crowd  in  another  cone.    She  tied  a  cloth  over  the  top 


ii2     A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

of  the  basket  to  keep  the  cones  from  rolling  off  and  started  for 
home.  She  looked  up  and  down  the  path  for  the  servant  from 
the  palace,  but  she  saw  no  one. 

"It  does  not  matter,"  she  thought.  "I  can  make  the  children 
forget  about  the  sweets  if  the  story  is  very  merry  and  the  fire 
very  bright." 

As  Hilda  walked,  the  basket  on  her  arm  grew  heavy.  The 
farther  she  went  the  heavier  it  grew.  It  was  getting  late  too 
and  almost  dark,  but  Hilda  could  not  hurry.  At  last  the  chil- 
dren who  were  watching  for  her  saw  her  coming  and  they  ran 
out  and  helped  her  carry  the  basket  into  the  cottage.  Hilda 
stamped  the  snow  from  her  feet  and  the  children  crowded 
around. 

"These  are  the  cones  for  our  Christmas  fire!"  said  Hilda, 
and  she  lifted  the  cloth  that  covered  the  basket.  The  children 
covered  their  eyes  with  their  hands  and  stepped  back.  The 
cones  were  so  bright  that  they  could  hardly  look  at  them — for 
the  Forest  Fairy  had  turned  them  all  to  silver ! 

And  now  Hilda  made  a  new  plan,  for,  of  course,  the  miner 
and  his  children  wished  to  share  this  Christmas  gift  with 
everybody  in  the  forest.  They  forgot  about  the  Christmas 
fire,  and  the  stories,  and  that  night,  when  they  had  eaten  their 
porridge,  Hilda  wrapped  the  miner's  children  in  their  hoods 
and  shawls  and  they  all  went  out  into  the  forest.  The  children 
ran  in  every  direction  leaving  a  silver  cone  on  the  doorstep  of 
every  cottage.    That  was  a  happy  Christmas  in  the  forest ! 

On  Christmas  day  the  children  gathered  cones,  and  when 
they  were  tired  and  cold  Hilda  took  them  home  and  told  the 
Christmas  stories  as  they  warmed  their  little  red  hands  before 
the  Christmas  fire,  and  there  were  sweets  for  all. 

All  this  happened  so  long  ago  that  no  one  remembers  just 
when  it  was,  but  the  children  of  that  country  always  hear  the 
story  from  their  fathers  and  mothers.  Every  year  they  gather 
cones  for  the  Christmas  fires,  but  the  largest  and  the  prettiest 


CHRISTMAS  PLANS  113 

they  touch  with  silver  and  hang  them  on  the  Christmas  trees. 
Although  they  never  see  the  Forest  Fairy  nowadays,  lovely 
things  still  happen  to  children  who  are  loving  and  helpful. 

After  the  Story: 

We  can  have  cones  at  Christmas,  and  give  them  to  our 
friends  to  help  make  their  Christmas  fires  bright.  We  can 
touch  the  best  of  them  with  silver  and  hang  them  on  the  Christ- 
mas trees. 

Start  for  the  woods  before  the  light  fades,  and  carry  baskets 
for  as  many  cones  as  you  can  gather.  Or  ask  the  children  to 
help  you  write  a  letter  to  a  family  of  children,  or  a  teacher 
friend  in  the  country,  asking  to  have  a  box  of  cones  sent  to  you, 
explaining  that  your  class  will  silver  some  of  them  and  take 
them  to  friends.  Ask  if  the  children  think  that  this  friend 
or  the  children  would  like  the  story,  and  inclose  a  copy,  typed 
if  possible.  Arrange  to  do  some  pleasant  thing  for  the  ones 
who  send  the  cones.  A  family  or  a  class  of  children  would 
like  a  Christmas  picture  mounted,  or  a  box  of  sweets.  Bring 
out  the  mite  box  and  decide  that  this  is  what  you  will  do  with 
the  money.  You  will  have  to  send  some  of  it  for  postage  or 
expressage  if  the  box  is  to  be  sent.  It  would  be  fun  to  send 
the  story  with  a  small  box  of  the  cones  silvered  according  to 
directions  given  in  Lesson  XVIII  to  the  friends  who  send  you 
the  cones,  for  a  Christmas  gift. 

Activity: 

The  story  of  "The  Silver  Cones"  will  dramatize  easily,  and 
if  it  is  too  long,  a  few  scenes  can  be  played : 

Scene  I.  The  miner  and  his  children  welcome  the  little 
stranger  child. 

Scene  II.     The  meeting  of  Hilda  and  the  Forest  Fairy. 

Scene  III.  Hilda  reaches  the  cottage  with  the  basket  and 
the  surprise  of  finding  the  silver  cones. 


ii4    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

Scene  IV.  The  children  go  through  the  forest  leaving 
cones  on  the  steps  of  the  cottages. 

Scene  V.  The  children  before  the  fire  as  Hilda  tells  the 
stories. 

Service  of  Worship : 

Hymn:     (Christmas   Hymn   recalled    from  last  year.) 

Scripture  Reading  :  The  Memory  Work  for  October  and 
November. 

Poems:     All  that  you  have  read  up  to  this  time. 

Prayer:     The  Thanksgiving  prayer. 

Hymn:  The  Christ-Child  (A  First  Book  in  Hymns  and 
Worship,  No.  78). 

"In  a  country  far  away, 
In  a  manger  on  the  hay, 
Lay  a  Baby,  pure  and  sweet, 
Lay  the  little  Christ-child. 

"Shepherds  watching  in  the  night, 
Saw  above  a  wondrous  light, 
Heard  the  angels  sing  of  peace, 
And  the  little  Christ-child. 

"To  this  babe  of  kingly  fame 
Wise  Men  with  their  treasures  came, 
Guided  by  a  shining  star 

To  the  little  Christ-child. 

"So  on  happy  Christmas  day, 
At  our  work  and  at  our  play, 
We  with  joyful  hearts  will  sing 
Of  the  little  Christ-child." 
(Pilgrim    Elementary    Teacher.       Poem    copy- 
righted by  the  Congregational  Publishing  So- 
ciety.   Used  by  permission.) 
Benediction. 


LESSON  XVII 
CAROLS  AND  PICTURES 

The  children's  love  for  the  Christmas  season  will  make  this 
lesson  of  preparation  and  anticipation  a  delight.  Introduce 
at  this  time  the  carols  and  pictures  that  you  will  use  all  through 
the  Christmas  season. 

Explain  the  multiplicity  of  pictures  on  one  subject  as  you  did 
in  teaching  Lesson  II  and  show  several  pictures  of  the  Ma- 
donna. Decide  upon  the  Sistine  Madonna  as  your  Christmas 
picture.  It  is  better  to  show  the  whole  picture  rather  than  a 
detail;  and  if  you  can  buy  or  borrow  a  large  colored  copy, 
hang  it  low  and  in  a  good  light. 

The  children  may  know  the  Christmas  story,  and  as  a  year 
probably  has  passed  since  they  heard  it  last,  they  will  rejoice. 

The  memory  work  that  has  been  selected  tells  the  story  of 
stories  in  the  most  perfect  way  in  which  it  has  ever  been  told. 
It  is  not  too  long  for  the  reason  that  it  is  a  complete  story  of 
absorbing  interest.  Show  your  own  enjoyment  and  apprecia- 
tion in  the  way  in  which  you  read  it,  as  the  Scripture  reading 
for  this  lesson.  We  so  often  deprive  stories  of  their  full 
measure  of  beauty  and  meaning  when  we  read  them  aloud. 
We  are  conventional,  and  even  stupid,  in  reducing  everything 
to  the  same  level  of  the  commonplace.  We  need  to  understand 
more  fully  the  way  in  which  to  use  pauses,  and  the  value  of 
taking  the  right  amount  of  time.  Show  what  you  feel  when 
you  read  this  precious  portion  of  the  second  chapter  of  Luke 
and  the  children  will  respond  and  remember  it  always. 

The  two  short  stories  are  explanatory.  They  are  suggested 
at  this  time,  one  as  an  introduction  to  our  plan  of  giving  at 

115 


n6    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

Christmas;  the  other  story  will  make  the  picture  of  the  Sistine 
Madonna  interesting  even  in  its  details. 

If  plans  are  made  well  in  advance,  the  Christmas  season 
need  not  be  too  tiring  and  the  month  of  Christmas  may  be 
spent  helpfully,  unselfishly,  and  joyously. 

Open  the  November  mite  box  and  place  the  one  made  for 
December  on  the  table. 

Play:     Dramatize  the  story  of   "The   Silver  Cones"  as  in 
Lesson  XVI. 

Story:    The  Christmas  Carolers. 

One  Christmas  Eve,  long  ago,  three  children  sat  on  the 
floor  before  a  blazing  hearth  fire.  The  big  room  was  full  of 
shadows  and  would  have  been  quite  dark  but  for  the  light  of 
a  tall  white  candle  that  stood  burning  in  the  window,  adding 
its  light  to  the  flickering  firelight. 

The  two  little  sisters  and  their  brother  Guy  were  quiet  and 
sad,  although  it  was  Christmas  Eve  and  they  should  have  been 
merry.  Their  mother  and  father  had  been  on  a  long  journey 
and  the  children  had  expected  them  home  on  Christmas  Eve. 
But  deep  snow  had  covered  the  roads  and  probably  had  made 
it  hard  for  them  to  find  the  way,  for  they  were  very  late. 

Guy  tried  to  comfort  the  little  sisters.  He  said :  "They  will 
come  soon.  Soon  we  will  hear  the  sound  of  the  horses'  hoofs, 
and  then  what  fun  it  will  be !  They  will  come  in,  glad  of  this 
warm  fire  we  have  kept  bright  for  them,  and  father's  pockets 
will  be  full  of  Christmas  goodies.  They  will  surely  be  here  to 
eat  the  Christmas  pudding  to-morrow." 

But  the  little  sisters  shook  their  heads.  Their  eyes  were  full 
of  tears  and  the  room  seemed  a  solemn,  silent  place.  Snowflakes 
blew  against  the  window,  the  burning  logs  snapped  and  sparks 
flew  up  the  great  chimney.  A  draft  blew  out  the  candle,  and 
Guy  brought  it  to  the  fire  and  held  it  to  the  blaze  until  it 


CAROLS  AND  PICTURES  117 

burned  again.  "We  must  keep  the  candle  lighted,"  he  said, 
"for  when  the  horses  turn  in  at  the  gates  they  will  need  a 
light  to  guide  them  to  the  door." 

As  the  children  listened  for  the  sound  of  wheels  and  pound- 
ing hoofs  they  heard  sweet  music.  Children  were  coming, 
singing  in  the  snow ! 

"The  carolers  are  coming!"  cried  the  children  and  they  ran 
to  the  window  and  climbed  into  the  deep  window  seat.  They 
pressed  their  faces  against  the  cold  glass.  Yes,  there  were 
the  carolers,  in  warm  cloaks  and  hoods,  standing  under  the 
window  and  singing  a  Christmas  song. 

"We  are  not  daily  beggars 
That  beg  from  door  to  door; 
But  we  are  neighbors'  children 
Whom  you  have  seen  before. 

"God  bless  the  master  of  this  house; 
God  bless  the  mistress  too, 
And  all  the  little  children 
That  round  the  table  go." 

And  after  that  the  carolers  sang  a  most  beautiful  song,  and 
it  seemed  to  the  children  in  the  window  that  the  music  came 
down  from  the  sky,  for  it  was  the  song  the  angels  sang  on  that 
first  Christmas. 

"Glory  to  God  in  the  highest, 
And  on  earth  peace  among  men." 

When  the  song  was  over,  the  carolers  looked  up  and  the 
children  in  the  window  saw  their  faces  in  the  candlelight.  "We 
have  seen  them  before !  They  are  neighbors'  children,"  cried 
the  children  in  the  window. 

One  of  the  carolers,  a  tall  boy,  held  up  a  bundle  of  pine 
twigs,  and  the  needles  and  cones  were  dusted  with  snow  that 


n8     A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

sparkled  in  the  light  of  the  candle.  Guy  opened  the  heavy 
window  and  took  the  twigs. 

"Take  the  fagot,"  said  the  tallest  caroler,  "and  burn  it  to- 
morrow.    It  will  make  your  Christmas  fire  bright  and  warm." 

Guy  ran  to  a  table  on  which  stood  a  great  wooden  bowl 
filled  with  apples  and  nuts.  "Thank  you  for  the  songs  and 
the  fagot,"  he  said,  "and  may  your  Christmas  be  a  merry  one!" 
Then  he  emptied  the  bowl  at  the  feet  of  the  carolers.  The 
little  sisters  called  out,  "A  merry  Christmas  to  you,  every  one!" 
and  Guy  closed  the  window. 

What  fun  the  carolers  had  gathering  up  the  apples  and  nuts 
that  lay  on  the  snow  around  them!  The  children  in  the  win- 
dow laughed  to  see  the  fun,  and  forgot  their  loneliness.  Soon 
the  carolers  went  away,  singing  as  they  went,  and  as  the  song 
grew  fainter  and  fainter  there  came  another  sound.  It  was 
the  sound  of  horses'  hoofs,  pounding  through  the  snow.  Then 
came  the  creak  of  wheels  and  harness,  and  the  children  heard 
the  voices  that  they  loved  to  hear,  calling,  "Merry  Christmas, 
children !" 

Guy  threw  the  fagot  of  pine  on  the  fire,  and  his  mother  and 
father  warmed  their  hands  by  its  warmth. 

"Did  you  lose  your  way  in  the  snow,  mother?"  asked  the 
little  sisters. 

"Yes,  we  did,"  she  answered,  "and  it  was  the  song  of  the 
carolers  and  the  light  of  the  candle  that  showed  us  the  way." 

A  Talk: 

Shall  we  make  a  plan  for  our  Christmas  Eve?  Suppose 
we  ask  our  friends  to  come  here,  for  a  lovely  time  with  our 
stories  and  pictures,  and  Christmas  gifts,  and  then,  when  it 
is  beginning  to  get  dark,  we  will  go  out,  and  sing  as  the 
"neighbors'  children"  did  in  the  story.  The  children  in  Eng- 
land sang  the  carols  from  house  to  house,  as  the  children  in 
the  story  did,  for  years  and  years.     I  would  love  to  do  it; 


CAROLS  AND  PICTURES  119 

would  you?  Perhaps  we  will  ask  the  people  who  want  to 
hear  us  to  put  a  candle  in  the  window,  and  we  will  sing  the 
same  song  that  the  children  in  England  used  to  sing.  Then, 
when  they  know  who  we  are  we  will  sing  our  beautiful  carols, 
and  leave  a  gift  at  each  house,  as  Hilda  and  the  miner's  chil- 
dren did. 

Activity : 

Silvering  cones.  Bring  out  the  cones  gathered  by  the  chil- 
dren or  sent  from  the  country.  Examine  them  closely  and 
explain  to  those  who  do  not  know  that  they  are  the  fruit  of  the 
trees  used  as  Christmas  trees.  The  children  are  going  to  play 
that  they  are  Forest  Fairies  and  silver  some  of  these  cones  for 
Christmas  presents.  Look  the  cones  over  and  select  a  number 
of  the  most  perfect.  Use  aluminum  paint,  and  show  the  children 
that  they  need  only  brush  the  edges  of  the  cones  to  make  them 
very  pretty.  Or  touch  the  cones  with  white  enamel  paint,  or 
with  glue,  and  roll  them  immediately  in  artificial  snow.  Any 
stationer  or  storekeeper  will  get  the  artificial  snow  for  you 
if  you  are  not  near  a  place  where  it  is  sold.  Lay  the  silvered 
cones  carefully  away  in  a  box.  Later,  when  they  are  dry, 
you  can  tie  bits  of  red  or  brown  worsted  in  the  tops  for  use 
in  hanging  the  cones  on  the  trees.  Hang  them  under  the 
branches,  as  they  grow. 

Pictures:  Show  several  pictures  of  the  Madonna  and  dis- 
cuss them.  Note  the  differences  and  talk  of  the  artists  as  try- 
ing to  show  how  lovely  the  baby  Jesus  was.  Guide  the  choice 
of  a  picture  for  the  month  to  the  Sistine  Madonna,  and  when 
it  has  been  studied  tell  the  story  of  "The  Twins  of  Italy." 

Story:  The  Twins  of  Italy. 

A  long  time  ago,  in  a  lovely  sunny  country  across  the  seas, 
there  lived  in  an  old,  old  town  a  mother  with  two  tiny  babies. 
No  one  had  ever  seen  such  babies!     At  least  so  the  mother 


120    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

thought  as  she  looked  admiringly  at  them  and  wondered  which 
was  the  more  beautiful.  They  had  great  dark  eyes,  and  plump 
little  brown  cheeks,  and  silky  black  hair  that  curled  about 
their  faces,  and  then  there  were  two  of  them,  one  for  each 
arm,  as  the  mother  proudly  thought. 

As  she  sat  by  the  door  and  spun,  the  children  would  frolic 
about  her  feet  like  two  playful  little  puppies,  and  she  would 
say  to  herself,  "I  wish  I  could  keep  them  always  as  they  are 
now.    They  are  so  beautiful !" 

As  they  grew  older  and  could  understand  she  would  tell 
them  stories  of  that  baby  boy  in  Palestine,  the  little  Jesus 
whom  every  one  loved.  And  so  these  tiny  boys  in  Italy  too 
learned  to  love  him,  and  would  ask  for  stories  about  him  again 
and  again. 

One  afternoon  the  two  children,  who  had  been  rolling  about 
in  the  grass  and  playing  hard  all  day,  grew  tired,  and  leaning 
up  against  their  mother,  begged  her  for  a  story.  Their  heads 
came  just  above  her  knees,  and  while  one  folded  his  arms 
upon  her  lap  and  rested  his  chin  upon  them  and  the  other 
cupped  his  face  in  a  plump  little  hand,  four  brown  eyes  were 
fixed  on  hers  as  she  told  them  over  again  the  stories  they  loved 
to  hear  about  Jesus. 

As  she  was  talking  a  handsome  stranger  came  by.  But  he 
did  not  pass  the  cottage,  for  he  was  an  artist,  and  when  he 
saw  the  group  at  the  doorway  of  the  cottage  he  thought  he  had 
never  painted  a  lovelier  picture.  He  stopped  and  listened  to 
the  story  the  mother  was  telling,  and  when  it  was  finished  he 
stepped  up  to  her  and  said : 

"Will  you  bring  your  lovely  twins  to  see  a  picture  I  have  just 
made?    It  is  of  the  child  Jesus  on  his  mother's  arm." 

Oh,  to  see  a  picture  of  the  baby  whom  they  so  loved  to  hear 
about!    That  was  almost  better  than  a  story! 

So  one  day  their  mother  washed  them  and  dressed  them  to 
go  to  the  house  of  the  great  painter.    They  were  too  old  to  be 


CAROLS  AND  PICTURES  121 

carried  now,  but  walked  along  by  their  mother's  side,  holding 
her  hand. 

The  painter  must  have  loved  little  children,  for  he  took  them 
in  his  arms  and  played  with  them  and  gave  them  toys  and 
sweets  until  they  loved  him  too.  He  made  them  happiest  of 
all  when  he  asked  them  to  come  to  see  him  every  day.  And 
as  day  after  day  they  played  about  the  studio,  the  room  where 
the  great  painter  Raphael  did  his  work,  he  painted  a  picture 
of  them.  He  painted  it  just  as  he  had  seen  them  that  first 
day,  standing  by  their  mother's  side  and  resting  against  her 
knee.  And  he  made  of  each  one  a  little  angel-child,  and  put 
wings  on  their  shoulders,  and  placed  them  at  the  feet  of  the 
little  Christ-child  whose  story  they  loved  to  hear  about. 

And  so  the  mother  had  her  wish.  "I  wish  I  could  keep  them 
as  they  are  now,"  she  used  to  say  as  she  looked  at  her  babies. 

It  is  a  long  time  since  Raphael  painted  the  picture.  It  is 
very  old.  But  the  children  in  it  never  grow  old.  They  will 
always  be  for  the  world  the  two  beautiful  babies  their  mother 
wanted  to  keep  them. 

(By  Jeanette  E.  Perkins.) 

Service  of  Worship:      (The  memory  work,  the  prayer,  and 
the  benediction  may  be  used  throughout  the  month.) 

Hymn  :     The  Christ-Child. 

Scripture  Reading:     Memory  Work,  Luke  8.  16. 
Hymn  :     Silent  Night  (A  First  Book  in  Hymns  and  Wor- 
ship, No.  82). 

"Silent  night,  Holy  night! 
All  is  calm,  all  is  bright. 
Round  yon  Virgin  Mother  and  Child, 
Holy  Infant  so  tender  and  mild, 
Sleep  in  heavenly  peace, 
Sleep  in  heavenly  peace! 


122    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

"Silent  night,  Holy  night, 
Shepherds  quake  at  the  sight ; 
Glories  stream  from  heaven  afar, 
Heav'nly  hosts  sing  Alleluia; 
Christ,  the  Saviour,  is  born, 
Christ,  the  Saviour,  is  born!" 

Prayer:  Dear  Father  in  heaven,  may  we  love  each  other 
more ;  may  we  do  more  to  make  each  other  happy,  because  we 
want  to  celebrate  Jesus'  birthday  in  the  best  way.    Amen. 

Song:     Song   of   the   Christmas   Waits.     (An   old    song — 
adapted. ) 


#££55Ep: 


We   are  not  dai  -  ly  beg-gars,  That  beg  from  door  to  door;    But 


^n^ 


?=*=? 


we    are  neighbors'  child-ren  Whom  you  have  seen  be  -  fore.    God 


M  j  l  J^M^TJ^iE^ 


^ 


bless  the  mas-ter     of  this  house;  God  bless  the  mistress  too,     And 


f^pg 


^=nr*3\ 


Z3E 


S 


3c=: 


all   the     lit  -  tie    child  •  ren  That  round  the     ta  -  ble    go. 

Benediction  : 

"Lord  Jesus  Christ,  come  close  and  stay 
Within  my  heart  until  the  day, 
While  I  lie  quiet,  safe  and  sound, 
Until  the  golden  sun  comes  round." 


LESSON  XVIII 
AN  ANGEL'S  VISIT 

If  you  have  read  all  of  the  lessons  for  December  and  have 
decided  to  follow  the  plan  for  having  the  children  sing  under 
the  windows  of  friends  and  neighbors,  on  Christmas  Eve,  you 
will  want  to  rehearse  the  songs  several  times,  and  these  re- 
hearsals can  take  the  form  of  play.  The  children  can  learn 
the  "Song  of  the  Christmas  Waits"  as  they  sing  it  in  their 
play,  and  the  carols  that  you  teach  may  be  sung  at  this  time. 

It  will  add  very  much  to  the  picturesque  effect  if  the  girls 
wear  hoods  and  long  capes  of  bright  colors,  as  they  go  from 
door  to  door.  If  worn  over  warm  winter  garments,  the  capes 
and  hoods  may  be  made  of  turkey  red  and  other  cheap  cotton 
materials,  and  very  few  stitches  will  suffice.  If  any  of  the 
children  own  capes  of  any  color,  they  can  be  used,  but  if  ma- 
terial is  bought,  have  the  colors  red,  green,  dark  orange,  and 
bright  blue.  The  boys  should  wear  scarfs  of  these  materials 
and  their  own  warm  caps. 

It  will  relieve  the  pressure  of  work  later,  and  add  very  much 
to  the  reality  of  the  play  if  you  can  have  these  costumes  ready 
to-day.  The  mothers  of  the  children  will  provide  the  costumes, 
or  at  least  help  you  with  them  if  you  can  interest  them  in  the 
plan  for  Christmas  Eve. 

Review  the  story  of  "The  Christmas  Carolers,"  and  play 
that  it  is  Christmas  Eve  and  that  you  are  setting  out  to  sing 
under  the  windows  or  at  the  doors  of  certain  friends.  Walk 
about,  stopping  here  and  there  to  sing.  Sing  the  "Song  of  the 
Christmas  Waits"  several  times,  playing  the  music  as  the 
children  move  from  door  to  door  in  their  "make  believe." 

123 


i24    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

After  the  play,  and  before  the  story,  sit  down  together  and 
make  a  list  of  the  friends  for  whom  you  wish  to  sing.  These 
people  should  live  near  your  place  of  meeting,  and  they  should 
be  those  upon  whom  you  can  rely  for  cooperation  and  en- 
thusiasm. Write  or  telephone  before  Christmas  Eve,  to  tell 
them  of  your  plan  and  to  ask  if  they  will  place  a  candle  in 
the  window  for  the  children. 

Story:  An  Angel's  Visit. 

Long  ago,  in  a  little  village  called  Nazareth,  there  lived  a 
young  woman  named  Mary.  Mary's  home  was  a  little  square 
house  by  the  roadside,  and  there  were  other  little  square  houses 
all  about.  In  these  houses  lived  Mary's  friends,  and  they  all 
swept  the  floors  and  carried  their  pitchers  to  the  well  to  draw 
water.  They  made  little  loaves  of  bread,  and  spun  long  threads 
of  wool  and  wove  them  into  cloth.  So  Mary's  days  were  filled 
with  work,  and  when  the  sun  went  down  and  the  day's  work 
was  done,  Mary  brought  water  for  her  thirsty  flowers  and 
threw  crumbs  to  her  doves.  Sometimes  she  read  as  she  rested, 
and  sometimes  she  went  up  to  the  low  roof  by  a  little  staircase 
that  was  on  the  outside  of  the  house  and  watched  the  sun 
set  and  the  stars  come  out. 

Mary  had  many  happy  things  to  think  about.  The  world 
was  very  beautiful,  for  it  was  springtime,  and  every  leaf  and 
blade  of  grass  was  new.  The  bluebirds  and  birds  that  were 
red  and  soft-gray  were  singing  about  the  new  nests  that  they 
were  building.  And  then  Mary  was  going  to  marry  Joseph, 
the  village  carpenter.  Yes,  it  was  a  happy  time  for  Mary,  and 
one  day,  as  she  sat  thinking  of  these  things,  an  angel  came 
to  visit  her.  A  bright  and  wonderful  angel,  who  brought 
Mary  a  message  from  God ! 

When  Mary  saw  the  angel  she  was  filled  with  fear  and  won- 
der, but  the  angel  said,  "Fear  not,  Mary,  for  thou  hast  found 
favor  with  God." 


AN  ANGEL'S  VISIT 


125 


Then  Mary  listened  and  heard  the  angel  say :  "God  will  send 
his  Son  to  live  on  the  earth.  He  will  come  to  you,  Mary,  a 
little  child,  to  be  cared  for,  and  when  he  is  grown  he  will  do 
great  things,  and  because  he  will  be  so  loving,  he  will  be  called 
the  King  of  Love,  forever." 

Mary  bowed  her  head,  and  said :  "Behold  the  handmaid  of 
the  Lord.     Be  it  unto  me  according  to  thy  word." 

When  Mary  lifted  up  her  head  and  looked  about,  the  angel 
was  gone.  The  doves  were  fluttering  among  Mary's  flowers, 
and  her  spinning  was  just  where  she  had  laid  it  when  the  angel 
came.  Everything  was  just  as  it  had  been,  but  what  a  won- 
derful new  thought  was  now  in  Mary's  mind !  Her  heart  was 
filled  with  thanksgiving,  and  she  was  so  happy  that  she  sang  a 
beautiful  song  of  thanks  to  God. 

"My  soul  doth  magnify  the  Lord, 
And  my  spirit  hath  rejoiced  in  God. 


For  he  that  is  mighty  hath  done  to  me  great  things, 
And  holy  is  his  name !" 

Activity: 

The  children  will  want  to  make  Christmas  presents,  and 
here  are  some  suggestions  that  will  serve  to  keep  them  busy  all 
through  these  Christmas  lessons.  Make  what  you  think  will 
be  best  and  allow  time  for  "silvering"  a  basket  of  cones  and 
tying  loops  of  worsted  or  thread  at  the  stem  for  use  in  hanging 
the  cones  on  Christmas  trees.  One  of  these  periods  for  ac- 
tivity should  be  given  to  writing  on  slips  of  paper  this  little 
wish,  to  go  with  the  cones  that  are  taken  to  friends  when  you 
go  a-caroling.  Let  the  children  do  the  writing  or  printing  from 
a  copy  set  for  them  on  the  blackboard : 

"Our  wish  for  you  is  a  fire  bright 
And  a  happy  time  on  Christmas  night." 


126    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

Christmas  Gifts 

Surprise  Nuts.  Walnuts  or  large  peanuts  opened  without 
breaking  the  shells.  Fold  an  interesting  anecdote  or  funny 
story  clipped  from  a  magazine  and  paste  the  nut  together  with 
the  clipping  inside. 

Surprise  Envelopes.  Decorate  small  envelopes  with  flowers 
cut  from  wall  paper  and  address  them  to  mother  or  father. 
Clip  Christmas  verses  and  poems  from  magazines  or  Sunday- 
school  papers,  and  inclose. 

Pads  for  the  Telephone  Table.  Buy  small  pads  of  paper 
and  paste  wall  paper  on  the  cardboard  at  the  back.  Fasten 
little  program  pencils  to  them  by  ribbon  loops  pasted  between 
the  wall  paper  and  the  cardboard. 

Christmas  Baskets.  Make  baskets  as  in  Lesson  XII  and 
decorate  with  crayon  drawing  or  pictures  pasted  on.  Place  a 
letter,  cut-out  pictures,  or  stories  in  the  basket. 

Match  Boxes.  Cover  the  top  and  bottom  of  the  match  box 
with  wall  paper  or  pictures  from  postcards.  The  boxes  are 
smaller  than  the  postcards,  but  many  times  the  picture  can  be 
used  in  detail.  Any  colored  decoration  can  be  used,  or  the 
design  may  be  original. 

Clothespin  Dolls.  Dolls  such  as  were  made  in  Lesson  X 
with  a  Christmas  message  pinned  to  them. 

Nut  Bowls.     See  Lesson  XI. 

Other  ideas  for  gifts  will  be  found  among  the  activities  in 
A  First  Primary  Book  in  Religion.  Also  in  current  Sunday- 
school  and  other  educational  magazines.  A  roll  of  cheap 
wall  paper  with  a  small  design  will  be  very  useful  in  making 
Christmas  gifts  and  Christmas-tree  decorations.  Any  of  the 
little  articles  suggested  above  can  be  hung  on  the  tree,  before 
they  are  presented.  Keep  all  finished  articles  in  the  cabinet 
until  Christmas  Eve,  or  the  time  when  you  have  your  Christ- 
mas service. 


AN  ANGEL'S  VISIT  127 

Service  of  Worship: 

Hymn  :     The  Christ  Child. 

Scripture  Reading:     The  Memory  Work  for  December. 

Prayer  (see  Lesson  XVII). 

Hymn:     Silent  Night. 

Benediction. 


LESSON  XIX 

THE  CHRISTMAS  STORY 

As  the  children  assemble,  give  them  the  capes,  hoods,  and 
scarfs  and  play  the  "Song  of  the  Christmas  Waits."  "If  you 
want  to  know  what  a  child  is,  study  his  play;  if  you  want  to 
affect  what  he  shall  be,  direct  the  form  of  play."  That  is  what 
Joseph  Lee  says  in  his  Foreword  to  Luther  Gulick's  book,  A 
Philosophy  of  Play.  When  you  have  had  a  satisfactory  re- 
hearsal, prepare  for  the  story.  After  reviewing  "An  Angel's 
Visit"  tell  the  story  of  the  birth  of  Christ. 

Story:  The  Story  of  the  First  Christmas. 

The  bright  angel  brought  God's  wonderful  message  to  Mary 
in  the  springtime.  The  summer  came,  and  then  the  autumn. 
The  days  grew  cool  and  soon  a  great  many  people  in  that 
country  began  to  think  about  a  journey  that  they  would  have 
to  take.  Those  who  had  left  their  old  homes  and  were  living 
in  other  places  would  have  to  go  back,  and  write  their  names 
in  the  king's  book.  The  king,  whose  name  was  Caesar  Au- 
gustus, wished  to  know  how  many  people  there  were  in  that 
country.    This  was  his  way  of  counting  them. 

Mary  had  been  married  to  Joseph,  the  village  carpenter,  and 
when  the  time  came  for  Joseph  to  go  to  his  old  home,  Mary 
went  with  him.  Joseph  was  born  in  the  city  of  Bethlehem, 
and  he  was  of  the  family  of  David,  who  lived  there  long,  long 
before. 

Some  of  the  people  lived  so  far  from  their  old  homes  that 
they  started  long  before  the  time  when  the  name  must  be 
signed,  and  camped  in  the  fields  at  night.  Some  went  to  one 
128 


THE  CHRISTMAS   STORY  129 

city  and  some  to  another,  and  on  every  road  there  were  people 
going  in  both  directions. 

And  Joseph  and  Mary  started  too.  Over  the  hills  and  down 
dusty  roads  in  the  sunshine  they  went.  They  rested  now  and 
then,  and  sometimes  they  traveled  on  with  friends  whom  they 
met  and  who  were  going  to  Bethlehem,  also. 

But  Mary  grew  tired  with  the  long  journey  and  could  not 
hurry,  and  they  went  so  slowly  that  everybody  passed  them 
on  the  road.  When  Mary  and  Joseph  reached  Bethlehem  the 
narrow  streets  were  filled  with  people.  Every  house  was  full 
too,  and  it  seemed  as  though  there  was  no  place  where  they 
could  rest  that  night.  There  was  an  inn,  a  great  yard  where 
people  could  tie  their  camels  and  donkeys  and  rest  with  them 
on  the  straw ;  but  even  that  place  was  crowded.  At  last  Joseph 
found  a  stable  built  in  a  cave.  Cows  and  donkeys  were  stabled 
in  the  cave,  but  it  was  quiet  and  Mary  was  glad  to  go  there 
and  rest.  When  night  came  the  streets  of  Bethlehem  were 
quiet,  for  the  people  were  tired  after  their  long  journeys,  and 
they  slept. 

Out  in  the  fields  and  pastures  near  Bethlehem  the  shepherds 
watched  their  sheep  and  lambs.  In  that  warm  country  the 
shepherds  do  not  always  lead  their  flocks  home  when  night 
comes.  They  stay  with  the  sheep,  and  watch  while  the  sheep 
lie  sleeping  on  the  grass. 

That  night  the  shepherds  talked  together  about  things  that 
had  happened  and  about  what  they  hoped  would  some  day 
come  to  pass.  We  do  not  always  know  what  is  going  to  hap- 
pen, but  the  shepherds  knew  that  some  day  God  would  send 
his  Son  to  live  on  the  earth,  for  that  was  written  in  an  old  book, 
and  they  had  heard  the  teachers  and  priests  read  it. 

They  may  have  talked  about  the  coming  of  God's  Son  that 
night,  and  of  how  glad  the  whole  world  would  be  when  he 
came,  when  suddenly  a  glorious  light  filled  the  sky.  It  was 
more  beautiful  than  the  loveliest  sunrise,  and  as  the  shepherds 


i3o    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

looked,  so  startled  that  they  could  not  speak,  an  angel,  brighter 
even  than  the  sky,  came  out  of  heaven. 

The  brightness  was  so  great  that  the  shepherds  could  not 
look,  and  they  fell  on  their  faces  and  covered  their  eyes  with 
their  hands.    And  the  angel  said  unto  them : 

"Be  not  afraid,  for  behold,  I  bring  you  good  tidings  of  great 
joy  which  shall  be  to  all  the  people.  For  there  is  born  to  you 
this  day  in  the  city  of  David  a  Saviour,  who  is  Christ  the 
Lord.  And  this  is  the  sign  unto  you:  Ye  shall  find  a  babe 
wrapped  in  swaddling  clothes,  and  lying  in  a  manger."  And 
suddenly  there  was  with  the  angel  a  multitude  of  the  heavenly 
host  praising  God  and  saying: 

"Glory  to  God  in  the  highest, 
And  on  earth  peace  among  men." 

Then  that  most  beautiful  music  grew  fainter  and  the  sky 
grew  dark  again.  The  shepherds  looked  in  wonder  at  each 
other.  They  rose  to  their  feet.  "Let  us  now  go  even  unto 
Bethlehem,"  they  said,  "and  see  this  thing  that  is  come  to 
pass,  which  the  Lord  hath  made  known  unto  us." 

And  they  ran,  forgetting  their  sheep,  to  Bethlehem,  and 
found  the  Babe  lying  in  a  manger. 

When  the  shepherds  had  seen  Jesus  they  told  everyone  they 
met  the  wonderful  news.  And  all  they  that  heard  it  wondered 
at  those  things  which  were  told  them  by  the  shepherds. 

Activity: 

Finishing  the  silver  cones  and  tying  on  the  written  mes- 
sages. Making  gifts  for  friends.  (See  Lesson  XX.)  Ar- 
range the  Christmas  pictures  in  the  order  given  here  and  show 
them  as  you  read  the  Scripture  lesson.     ( See  Lesson  XV. ) 

Service  of  Worship: 

Hymn:     The  Christ-Child. 


THE  CHRISTMAS   STORY  131 

Scripture  Reading. 
Pictures  : 

Shepherds:     Luke  2.  8. 

Angel  of  the  Lord:     Luke  2.  9. 

Angel's  Message:     Luke  2.  11,  12. 

The  Heavenly  Host:     Luke  2.  13,  14. 

Pastures  and  Sheep:     Luke  2.  15. 

The  Nativity:     Luke  2.  16. 

Hymn:     Silent  Night. 

Prayer. 

Poem  :     77*^w  and  ./Vow  (to  be  read  aloud). 

"If  I  had  been  a  shepherd  boy 

Out  on  the  hills  that  Christmas  night 
And  heard  the  Angels'  song  of  joy 

And  seen  the  heavens  flaming  white, 
I  think  I  never  could  forget ; 
I  know  I'd  be  remembering  yet ! 
I  could  not  be  a  shepherd  boy, 

For  that  was  long  and  long  ago; 
But  still  the  Angels'  chant  of  joy 

Comes  echoing  across  the  snow, 
And  I  can  listen  if  I  will 
And  hear  their  Holy  Anthem  still. 

"If  I  had  been  a  sleeping  guest 

Lodged  at  the  inn  that  Christmas  night 
When  the  new  Lord  was  laid  to  rest 

In  the  cold  stall  in  humble  plight, 
I  know  I  would  have  waked  instead 
And  given  him  my  warm,  soft  bed. 
But  I  was  not  a  lodger  there, 

It  was  so  long  ago  indeed, 
Yet  all  around  me  everywhere 

Are  little  children  still  in  need, 


132     A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

And  when  I  love  and  cherish  them 
I  serve  the  Babe  of  Bethlehem." 

(By  Nancy  Byrd  Turner.    Used  by  permission  of 
The  Pilgrim  Press.) 

Benediction. 

For  the  Teacher:  "The  secret  of  true  poetry — as  well  as 
of  all  other  true  things — lies  hidden  in  the  heart  of  the  Babe 
of  Bethlehem,  the  secret  of  heavenly  love,  without  which 
there  is  no  beauty  in  the  works  or  words  of  men"  (Lucy 
Larcom). 


LESSON  XX 

THE  VISIT  OF  THE  WISE  MEN 

Rehearse  the  plan  for  Christmas  Eve,  going  through  the 
carol-singing  program  as  you  did  at  the  last  lesson.  Review 
the  story  of  the  birth  of  Christ  or  ask  a  child  to  tell  it  and  ask 
another  child  to  hold  up  the  pictures  to  illustrate  what  is  being 
said. 

Story :  The  Visit  of  the  Wise  Men. 

Soon  after  that  wonderful  night  when  the  angels  sang  and 
Jesus  came  to  live  on  the  earth,  Joseph  found  a  home  in  Beth- 
lehem, and  took  Mary  and  Jesus  to  live  there.  Joseph  was  a 
carpenter,  and  he  began  at  once  to  make  benches  and  tables 
for  the  people  of  Bethlehem  and  yokes  for  their  oxen.  Mary 
was  busy  and  happy  with  Jesus  to  love  and  care  for,  and  then 
one  day  three  men  came  from  a  far-away  land  to  visit  Jesus 
and  to  bring  him  gifts  of  welcome.  These  men  were  glad 
and  thankful  that  Jesus  had  come  to  live  on  the  earth,  for 
they  knew  that  he  was  the  Son  of  God,  and  had  come  to  show 
people  how  to  be  loving  and  happy  forever  and  ever. 

They  had  traveled  far  over  fields  and  mountains  and  through 
the  wilderness.  They  had  been  long  weeks  on  the  way,  and 
that  is  why  they  did  not  find  Jesus  in  the  manger  on  that  first 
Christmas  night,  as  the  shepherds  did. 

These  men  who  came  from  countries  far  away  from  Bethle- 
hem were  wise.  They  knew  many  things  and  thought  won- 
derful thoughts.  They  had  read  in  that  old  Book  from  which 
the  teachers  and  priests  read  to  the  shepherds,  that  God  would 
some  time  send  his  Son  to  live  in  the  world,  and  they  longed 

133 


134    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

to  have  Jesus  come.  Think  how  interested  these  Wise  Men 
must  have  been  when  they  read  in  the  old  Book  that  when 
Jesus  came  there  would  be  a  new  star  in  the  sky!  How  often 
they  must  have  looked  for  the  star !  They  knew  a  great  many 
interesting  things  about  the  stars,  and  they  knew  many  of  them 
by  their  names.  When  Jesus  was  born  and  the  new  star  came 
in  the  sky  just  as  the  old  Book  had  said,  these  men  saw  it, 
shining  there,  over  their  heads,  big  and  bright.  "This  is  the 
star  we  have  wanted  to  see!  It  moves  to  show  us  where  to 
find  the  Son  of  God,  and  we  will  follow  it!" 

So  the  Wise  Men  prepared  for  their  journey.  They  rode  on 
camels,  and  over  them,  as  they  sat  on  the  camels'  backs,  were 
tents  of  blue  and  red  and  gold  cloth. 

The  Wise  Men  traveled  at  night,  for  then  they  could  see 
the  star,  and  the  star  moved  and  showed  them  where  to  go. 
They  rested  in  the  bright  hours  of  daylight  and  the  camels 
rested  too.  The  sands  of  the  desert  were  soft,  and  the  camels 
made  no  noise  as  they  took  long  steps.  The  nights  were  very 
still,  and  the  only  sound  the  Wise  Men  heard  was  the  tinkle 
of  the  little  brass  bells  that  were  tied  into  the  harness  on  the 
camels'  heads.  It  was  a  happy  sound,  and  the  Wise  Men 
loved  to  listen,  as  we  do,  when  the  bells  of  Christmas  ring. 

At  last  when  they  had  traveled  long  and  far  they  came  to 
the  city  of  Jerusalem.  When  the  men  rode  in  through  the  city 
gates  the  people  in  the  streets  stopped  and  stared !  The  Wise 
Men  looked  strange  to  them,  for  they  were  from  a  country 
far  away  and  their  high,  white  camels  and  bright  canopies, 
their  rich  robes  and  dark  faces  were  like  nothing  the  people  of 
Jerusalem  had  ever  seen  before. 

The  Wise  Men  looked  down  from  their  high  seats  into  the 
staring  faces  and  asked:  "Where  is  he  that  is  born  a  King? 
We  have  seen  his  star  and  have  come  to  worship  him."  The 
people  of  Jerusalem  shook  their  heads  and  wondered,  for 
Herod,  their  king,  was  not  good  to  them.     On  the  Wise  Men 


THE  VISIT  OF  THE  WISE  MEN  135 

went  through  the  streets,  asking  where  Jesus  was  to  be  found, 
when  a  messenger  came  to  them  from  Herod  asking  them  to 
come  to  the  palace  where  he  lived. 

Herod  did  not  know  that  those  who  knew  what  the  old 
Book  said  expected  a  King  of  love  to  come  to  them  from  God. 
He  wondered  what  these  strange  men  could  mean. 

When  the  Wise  Men  went  to  the  palace  Herod  asked  them 
to  tell  him  all  that  they  knew  about  the  new  King  and  the 
star.  When  they  had  told  him  everything  he  said:  "Go  and 
search  out  exactly  concerning  the  young  child;  and  when  ye 
have  found  him,  bring  me  word,  that  I  also  may  come  and 
worship  him." 

When  the  Wise  Men  went  out  of  the  palace  to  mount  their 
kneeling  camels,  lo !  the  star  which  they  saw  in  the  east  went 
before  them  till  it  came  and  stood  over  where  the  young  Child 
was. 

When  they  saw  the  star  they  rejoiced  with  exceeding  great 
joy;  and  it  showed  them  the  way  to  Bethlehem,  out  through 
the  gates  of  Jerusalem,  and  across  the  sandy  desert.  The  star 
stood  over  the  little  house  where  Jesus  lived  with  Mary  and 
Joseph,  and  the  Wise  Men  went  in.  They  saw  the  young 
Child  with  Mary  his  mother,  and  fell  down  and  worshiped 
him :  and  when  they  had  opened  their  treasures  they  presented 
unto  him  gifts — gold,  frankincense,  and  myrrh,  for  those  were 
the  precious  gifts  that  were  given  to  kings  long  ago.  Joseph 
watched  the  Wise  Men  kneel  at  Jesus'  feet,  and  when  he  saw 
the  gifts  they  had  brought  he  knew  that  Jesus  was  a  king. 
Surely  these  were  not  presents  that  would  be  given  to  a  little 
child,  for  frankincense  and  myrrh  are  sweet-smelling  powders 
that  the  ministers  burned  in  the  churches,  and  the  gold,  of 
course,  he  could  not  spend. 

When  the  Wise  Men  rose  from  their  knees  they  were  won- 
derfully happy,  for  they  had  found  Jesus.  As  they  rested  that 
night  an  angel  came  to  them  in  their  dreams  and  warned  them 


136    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

not  to  tell  Herod  that  they  had  seen  the  King  of  love.    So  they 
went  back  to  their  own  country  another  way. 

As  they  rode  to  their  homes  across  the  desert  and  over  the 
mountains,  the  Wise  Men  thanked  God  with  all  their  hearts, 
for  they  had  seen  Jesus,  the  King  of  love ! 

Activity:  Making  Christmas  Gifts  (see  Lesson  XVIII). 

Service  of  Worship: 

Hymn  :     The  Christ-Child. 

Scripture  Reading  :     The  Memory  Work  repeated  by  the 

children,  and  the  pictures  shown  as  they  were  last  week.    Also 

Matthew  2.  1-3,  7-12,  showing  for  the  first  time  the  pictures 

that  illustrate  this  story.    For  list  of  pictures  see  Lesson  XV. 

Hymn  :    Silent  Night. 

Prayer : 

Poem:     Then  and  Now  (third  stanza). 
"If  I  had  been  a  wise  man's  son 

And  seen  the  star  that  Christmas  night 
And  watched  the  travelers  starting  on 

Their  journey  toward  the  wondrous  light, 
I  would  have  begged  to  go  with  them 
To  worship  Christ  at  Bethlehem. 
I  could  not  follow  with  the  star — 

That  was  two  thousand  years  gone  by — 
But  still  its  shining  is  not  far ; 

Its  holy  beams  are  very  nigh, 
And  whoso  looks  with  praying  eyes 
Still  sees  its  glory  in  the  skies." 

(Nancy  Byrd  Turner.     Used  by  permission  of 
The  Pilgrim  Press.) 

Benediction. 

Additional  Poem:  Cecil  Frances  Alexander's  Carol,  "Saw 
You  Never  in  the  Twilight"  (in  many  hymnals). 


LESSON  XXI 
THE  FLIGHT  INTO  EGYPT 

Ask  the  children  to  lay  all  of  the  Christmas  pictures  on  the 
table  in  the  order  in  which  they  come  in  the  stories.  They  may 
choose  which  they  would  like  to  tell  about  and  stand  with  the 
picture  held  so  that  all  can  see  it  as  they  repeat  the  Bible  verses. 
They  may  rehearse  the  carols  as  they  play  again  that  they  are 
carolers  in  capes  and  hoods,  and  then  take  their  places  for 
the  story. 

Review  the  story  of  "The  Visit  of  the  Wise  Men,"  and  have 
a  child  tell  it. 

Story:  The  Flight  into  Egypt. 

The  Bible  tells  us  that  on  the  very  night  when  the  angel 
came  to  the  Wise  Men  in  their  dreams  God  sent  a  dream  angel 
to  Joseph  also.  The  angel  said  to  Joseph,  "Arise  and  take  the 
young  child  and  his  mother,  and  flee  into  Egypt,  and  be  thou 
there  until  I  tell  thee :  for  Herod  will  seek  the  young  child  to 
destroy  him." 

Then  Joseph  woke  and  began  at  once  to  make  ready  for  a 
long  journey.  He  went  to  Mary  and  told  her  what  the  angel 
had  said.  Joseph  untied  the  donkey,  and  Mary  wrapped  a 
warm  cloak  about  the  baby  Jesus,  and  very  quietly  they  started 
for  Egypt. 

Before  morning  they  were  far  away  from  Bethlehem,  and 
the  people  who  lived  near  their  home  must  have  wondered 
when  they  found  the  little  home  empty  and  still. 

Now,  Herod  was  very  angry  because  the  Wise  Men  did  not 
return  to  tell  him  that  they  had  found  the  new  King.  He  sent 
for  a  very  learned  man  and  asked  him  to  read  from  the  old 

137 


138    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

Book  all  that  it  said  about  the  new  King.  The  learned  man 
read  that  Jesus  would  come,  and  that  he  would  be  born  in 
Bethlehem.  Herod  did  not  want  any  one  to  be  king  but  him- 
self, and  he  decided  to  find  the  baby  King  and  kill  him. 

King  Herod  was  ill,  and  he  was  stupid  and  very  cruel.  So 
he  ordered  his  soldiers  to  kill  all  the  baby  boys  in  Bethlehem. 
He  thought  that  surely  Jesus  would  be  among  them.  How 
sad  it  was  in  Bethlehem  then!  How  the  people  wept  and 
mourned!  And  Jesus,  the  real  King,  the  King  of  love,  was 
safe  in  his  mother's  arms,  and  nearer  and  nearer  to  the  land 
of  Egypt  as  the  hours  passed  by. 

The  donkey  walked  slowly,  and  Joseph  led  him  while  Mary 
rode  and  held  Jesus  in  her  arms.  When  they  were  tired  or 
hungry  they  rested  by  the  roadside  and  then  rode  on  again. 
At  last  they  were  in  Egypt,  and  Mary  and  Joseph  were  glad, 
for  Jesus  was  safe.  Joseph  found  another  home  for  Mary  and 
Jesus,  and  they  lived  in  Egypt  until  one  night  the  angel  came 
again  to  Joseph  in  his  dreams  and  said,  "Arise  and  take  the 
young  child  and  his  mother,  and  go  into  the  land  of  Israel: 
for  they  are  dead  that  sought  the  young  child's  life." 

So  Mary  and  Joseph  journeyed  back  to  the  land  of  Israel, 
as  the  angel  had  told  them  to  do,  but  they  did  not  go  back  to 
the  city  of  Bethlehem.  Joseph  had  heard  that  Herod's  son 
was  king  in  Herod's  place,  and  he  feared  that  the  new  king 
might  be  cruel  and  stupid  like  his  father.  He  did  not  want 
to  take  Jesus  to  Bethlehem  where  the  new  king  could  easily 
find  him,  so  they  went  to  Nazareth,  where  Mary  and  Joseph 
had  lived  before  Jesus  was  born. 

It  seems  as  though  Mary  must  have  been  glad  to  go  to 
Nazareth,  for  many  friends  whom  she  loved  were  there. 

Activity:  Making  Christmas  gifts  (see  Lesson  XVIII). 

Service  of  Worship:       (Place  the  picture — the  Sistine  Ma- 
donna— where  all  can  see  it.) 


THE  FLIGHT  INTO  EGYPT  139 

Hymn:     The  Christ-Child. 

Scripture  Reading:  Ask  the  children  to  repeat  the 
Memory  Work  as  you  hold  up  the  pictures.  Read  also  Mat- 
thew 2.  1-12  and  show  pictures.    (See  Lessons  XIX  and  XX.) 

Prayer:  Poem.  See  Lessons  XIX  and  XX.  Ask  a  boy 
to  learn  the  poem  or  three  boys  to  learn  a  stanza  each,  to  be 
repeated  at  the  Christmas  service.  Give  them  typed  copies  (or 
have  the  lines  clearly  written  for  them  to  take  home  and 
study). 

Hymn  :     Song  of  the  Christmas  Waits. 

Benediction  (pronounced  by  a  child). 


LESSON  XXII 
CHRISTMAS  PREPARATIONS— A  REVIEW 

All  that  the  program  for  the  Christmas  Eve  service  con- 
tains you  have  already  prepared,  unless,  perhaps,  you  still  have 
the  stereopticon  and  the  slides  for  which  to  arrange.  Every 
effort  should  be  made  to  have  the  screen  pictures,  for  they 
make  the  service  very  much  more  beautiful,  and  different 
from  the  lessons  that  come  at  ordinary  times.  If  the  stereop- 
ticon is  out  of  the  question,  use  the  pictures  as  you  have  already 
used  them  for  these  lessons,  the  children  standing  on  the  plat- 
form if  the  guests  are  many,  or  in  their  usual  informal  way  if 
only  a  few  are  invited. 

The  Christmas  Lullaby  calls  for  a  soloist;  and  yet  if  there  is 
no  one  who  will  sing  for  the  children  on  Christmas  Eve,  the 
picture  can  be  shown,  as  the  pianist  plays  a  lullaby.  The  an- 
them requires  the  cooperation  of  a  choir  or  a  quartette,  but  if 
there  are  no  singers  upon  whom  you  can  call  for  this  service, 
the  anthem  may  be  omitted. 

To  insure  a  service  which  will  be  thoroughly  enjoyed  by  all 
on  Christmas  Eve  go  through  it  at  this  time  quite  carefully, 
first  telling  the  stories.  Lesson  XXIII  consists  of  the  complete 
service  for  use  to-day  as  well  as  on  Christmas  Eve.  Remember 
to  change  the  day  of  the  next  lesson  to  Christmas  Eve  at  four 
o'clock.  Invite  your  guests  by  note  or  telephone,  and  make  use 
of  a  church  calendar,  bulletin  board,  or  any  other  medium  of 
advertising  that  is  at  your  service. 

An  Invitation 
Come  to  the  children's  Christmas  Eve  service  on  December 
140 


CHRISTMAS   PREPARATIONS— A   REVIEW     141 

24  at  four  o'clock.    There  will  be  stories  and  pictures,  carols, 
and  a  lighted  tree. 

"And  let  us  keep  old  customs  dear, 
And  let  us  gather,  year  by  year, 
Around  this  light  on  Christmas  Eve, 
And  voice  a  fervent  'I  believe.'  " 

(Denis   McCarthy,  in  his   Songs  of   Sunrise, 
Little,  Brown  &  Go.     Used  by  permission.) 

A  Christmas  Lullaby:  "Sleep,  My  Little  Jesus"  (in  Hymnal 
for  American  Youth.  The  Century  Company).  There 
are  other  beautiful  Christmas  lullabies,  and  such  familiar 
songs,  as  "Sleep,  My  Babe,  Lie  Still  and  Slumber,"  would 
be  appropriate. 


LESSON  XXIII 

A  SERVICE  FOR  CHRISTMAS  EVE 

Music:    Carols  old  and  new  played  brightly  as  the  friends 
assemble. 

Hymn:     The  Christ-Child  (sung  by  the  children). 

The  Christmas  Story  -with  Pictures 
Luke  2.  8-16 
Pictures  : 

Shepherds  (Luke  2.  1)  : — "And  there  were  shepherds  in 
the  same  country  abiding  in  the  field,  keeping  watch  by 
night  over  their  flock." 

Angels  and  Shepherds  (Luke  2.  9-12)  : — "And  an  angel 
of  the  Lord  stood  by  them,  and  the  glory  of  the  Lord 
shone  round  about  them :  and  they  were  sore  afraid. 
And  the  angel  said  unto  them,  Be  not  afraid;  for  be- 
hold, I  bring  you  good  tidings  of  great  joy  which  shall 
be  to  all  the  people :  for  there  is  born  to  you  this  day  in 
the  city  of  David  a  Saviour  who  is  Christ  the  Lord. 
And  this  is  the  sign  unto  you:  Ye  shall  find  a  babe 
wrapped  in  swaddling  clothes,  and  lying  in  a  manger." 

The  Heavenly  Host  (Luke  2.  13,  14)  : — "And  suddenly 
there  was  with  the  angel  a  multitude  of  the  heavenly 
host  praising  God,  and  saying, 

"Glory  to  God  in  the  highest 
And  on  earth  peace  among  men.  .  .  ." 

Pastures  and  Sheep   (Luke  2.   15): — "And  it  came  to 
pass,   when  the  angels   went   away   from   them   into 
142 


A  SERVICE  FOR  CHRISTMAS  EVE         143 

heaven,  the  shepherds  said  one  to  another,  Let  us  now 
go  even  unto  Bethlehem,  and  see  this  thing  that  is 
come  to  pass,  which  the  Lord  hath  made  known  unto 
us." 
The  Nativity  (Luke  2.  16)  : — "And  they  came  with  haste, 
and  found  Mary  and  Joseph,  and  the  Babe  lying  in  the 
manger." 

A  Solo:  A.  Christmas  Lullaby  (see  Lesson  XXII).  The 
children  will  sing  a  carol  (while  the  picture  of  The  Nativity 
is  still  shown). 

The  Star  in  the  East  (Matthew  2.  1-3)  : — "Now  when 
Jesus  was  born  in  Bethlehem  of  Judaea  in  the  days  of 
Herod  the  king,  behold,  there  came  Wise-men  from 
the  east  to  Jerusalem,  saying,  Where  is  he  that  is  born 
King  of  the  Jews?  for  we  saw  his  star  in  the  east,  and 
are  come  to  worship  him.  And  when  Herod  the  king 
heard  it,  he  was  troubled,  and  all  Jerusalem  with  him. 
The  Wise  Men  in  Herod's  House  (Matthew  2.  7,  8)  : — 
"Then  Herod  privily  called  the  Wise-men,  and 
learned  of  them  exactly  what  time  the  star  appeared. 
And  he  sent  them  to  Bethlehem,  and  said,  Go  and 
search  exactly  concerning  the  young  child;  and  when 
ye  have  found  him,  bring  me  word,  that  I  also  may 
come  and  worship  him." 
The  Visit  of  the  Wise  Men  (Matthew  2.  11): — "And 
they  came  into  the  house  and  saw  the  young  child  with 
Mary  his  mother;  and  fell  down  and  worshiped  him; 
and  opening  their  treasures  they  offered  unto  him  gifts, 
gold  and  frankincense  and  myrrh." 
The  Sistine  Madonna.  A  Christmas  anthem  sung  while 
the  picture  is  on  the  screen,  or  a  carol  sung  by  the 
children  or  the  soloist.  If  the  stereopticon  has  been 
used,  the  lights  should  be  turned  on  at  this  time. 


144     A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

The  Christmas  Tree,  and  the  Carolers:  The  tree 
stands  near  the  platform  dressed  with  cones,  silvered  by  the 
children,  and  the  gifts  they  have  made  in  white  paper  packages 
and  plainly  marked.  The  children  may  take  their  packages 
and  give  them  to  the  friends  for  whom  the  gifts  were  made. 
This  will  make  a  happy  half  hour  perhaps,  and  then  it  will  be 
time  to  go  a-caroling.  The  children  should  put  the  capes  and 
hoods  on  over  their  warm  winter  clothes  if  it  is  a  cold  night, 
and  the  teacher  should  be  in  costume  too.  Fill  your  basket 
with  the  cones  that  have  been  silvered  and  that  have  written 
Christmas  messages  tied  on  (see  Lesson  XVIII)  and  start  for 
the  homes  where  the  candles  are  shining  a  welcome  to  the 
children.  Leave  a  cone  or  several  cones  at  each  house  that 
you  visit.  Sing  "Song  of  the  Christmas  Waits"  and  then 
two  carols  at  each  door. 


LESSON  XXIV 

REVIEW 

Ask  the  children  to  arrange  a  program  for  themselves. 
Write  the  program  as  they  plan  it  on  the  blackboard  and  insist 
that  they  shall  carry  it  out  well. 

The  children  should  tell  the  stories  themselves,  and  if  there 
is  time  and  a  new  story  is  in  order,  tell  one  of  those  listed 
among  the  additional  materials. 

The  birds  may  have  their  Christmas  treat  to-day.  (See 
Lesson  V.)  Bring  out  the  containers  made  long  ago  for  this 
purpose  and  the  seeds  and  berries  gathered  in  the  autumn. 
Stand  your  Christmas  tree  out  in  the  yard  and  tie  the  little 
containers  to  the  branches.  If  there  is  no  place  for  the  tree 
out  of  doors,  tie  a  branch  of  the  tree  to  a  fence  or  to  the  flag- 
pole. Use  a  growing  tree  if  there  is  an  evergreen  within  your 
limits. 

Books  of  Christmas  Stories: 

Little  Folks'  Christmas  Stories  and  Plays,  by  Ada  M.  Skin- 
ner.    Christmas,  by  Robert  Haven  Schauffler. 


145 


IV.    THE  RELIGION  OF  WORK 

XXV.  A  Lesson  for  the  New  Year. 

XXVI.  The  Boy  Jesus  in  Nazareth. 

XXVII.  Jesus  of  Nazareth  Who  Went  About  Doing  Good. 

XXVIII.  A  Faithful  Worker  Whose  Name  Was  Samuel. 

XXIX.  Working  Willingly  with  Our  Hands. 

XXX.  Preparing  for  a  Great  Work. 

XXXI.  Children  Working  for  Their  Friends. 

XXXII.  Review. 

"It  is  neither  feeling  or  thinking,  but  righteous  doing  that  gives 
us  victory." — Elisabeth  P.  Peabody. 

Memory  Work  : 

King  Solomon,  the  son  of  David,  said: 
My  son,  hear  the  instruction  of  thy  father, 
And  forsake  not  the  law  of  thy  mother : 

Withhold  not  good  from  them  to  whom  it  is  due, 
When  it  is  in  the  power  of  thy  hand  to  do  it. 

A  worthy  woman  .  .  .  worketh  willingly  with  her  hands : 

And  the  law  of  kindness  is  on  her  tongue. 

A  word  fitly  spoken 

Is  like  apples  of  gold  in  network  of  silver. 

Go  to  the  ant,  thou  sluggard ; 
Consider  her  ways,  and  be  wise. 

The  ants -are  a  people  not  strong, 

Yet  they  provide  their  food  in  the  summer. 

The  conies  are  but  a  feeble  folk, 

Yet  make  they  their  houses  in  the  rocks. 

— Proverbs. 

Be  strong,  all  ye  people  of  the  land,  saith  Jehovah,  and  work. 

— Haggai  2.  4. 


LESSON  XXV 
A  LESSON  FOR  THE  NEW  YEAR 

The  stories  in  this  series  of  lessons  are  about  interesting 
workers  and  the  work  that  they  did.  The  active  child  will 
enjoy  being  industrious  and  the  activities  suggested  will  pro- 
vide real  work  for  him  to  do.  The  games  are  more  serious 
and  the  idea  of  team  work  is  introduced.  At  seven  the  child 
begins  to  care  to  win,  and  he  should  learn  to  lose  good- 
naturedly. 

The  children's  work  will  culminate  in  entertaining  a  class  in 
a  neighboring  school  of  week-day  religious  instruction,  or  a 
class  in  your  own  school.  Arrange  with  the  teacher  of  the 
invited  class  to  teach  the  review  lesson  to  the  combined  classes. 
The  children  in  your  class  may  work  toward  making  it  an  in- 
teresting hour  and  the  anticipation  will  give  point  to  their 
efforts. 

After  the  New  Year's  greetings  have  been  exchanged,  form 
a  ring  and  play  several  singing  games  familiar  to  all.  Among 
the  games  of  this  class  are  "The  Mulberry  Bush,"  "London 
Bridge,"  "The  Muffin  Man,"  "Did  You  Ever  See  a  Lassie?" 
and  "On  the  Bridge  of  Avignon."  If  you  have  a  school  or  a 
roof  garden,  play  the  games  out  of  doors  as  often  as  you  can. 
Bean-bags  are  quite  exciting  when  one  is  seven.  They  are 
safe,  and  make  simple  team  play  possible,  besides  providing  a 
fine  activity  in  making  them. 

Games  with  Bean-bags.  I.  Place  a  wastepaper  basket  in 
the  center  of  the  circle  and  at  a  given  signal  let  each  child  toss 
a  bean-bag  into  it.  Or,  toss  in  turn,  and  clap  for  the  child 
whose  bag  goes  into  the  basket. 

149 


150     A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

2.  The  players  are  divided  into  two  teams.  The  teams  are 
ready  when  they  are  in  parallel  lines  as  though  about  to  march. 
The  leader  of  each  line  holds  a  bean-bag  over  his  head  and  at 
a  signal  drops  it  over  his  head  into  the  hands  of  the  child 
behind  him.  This  is  repeated  until  the  bag  reaches  the  last 
child,  who  runs  to  the  head  of  the  line  with  the  bag  in  his  hand, 
and  the  tossing  begins  again.  Repeat  until  the  child  who  was 
at  the  head  of  the  line  is  there  again.  The  team  or  line  whose 
leader  first  gets  back  to  the  head  wins.  This  game  may  be 
played  with  rubber  balls,  but  it  is  less  difficult  with  bean-bags. 

Marching  Steps.  Giants :  March  with  arms  raised  above 
the  head  and  on  tiptoe. 

Fairies:  With  arms  outstretched  march  lightly  in  double- 
quick  time. 

Coming  from  the  Well :  Each  child  marches  carrying  a 
bean-bag  on  his  head  as  water  jars  were  carried  in  Bible  times. 

Stepping-stones:  Circles  can  be  drawn  on  bare  floors  or 
the  figures  in  carpets  or  mattings  can  be  called  stepping-stones. 
The  children  step  from  one  stone  to  another  on  their  toes. 

Jumping  Jacks:  March,  lifting  the  knees  very  high  and 
jerking  the  arms  up  and  down  at  each  step. 

A  Game  of  Work:  Print  on  slips  of  paper  orders  such  as 
"Dust  the  Window  Sill";  "Water  the  Plant";  "Sort  the 
Crayons,"  etc.,  and  lay  them  face  down  on  the  table.  Let  each 
child  take  a  slip  and  begin  at  once  to  obey  the  order  written 
thereon. 

Story :  A  Story  for  the  New  Year. 

Tom  Tucker  was  a  little  boy  who  lived  in  a  city  far  away 
and  across  the  sea.  His  home  was  very  near  a  great,  beauti- 
ful church,  so  near  that  when  the  choirmaster  played  the  big 
organ  Tom  could  hear  the  music.  He  could  see  the  pictures  in 
the  stained-glass  windows  when  the  church  was  lighted  at 
night,  and  he  often  sat  in  the  doorway  of  his  home  looking 


A  LESSON  FOR  THE  NEW  YEAR  151 

at  the  lovely  pictures,  and  making  stories  about  them.  There 
were  lambs  and  lilies;  there  were  shepherds  with  kind  faces, 
and  in  one  window  there  was  a  picture  of  Jesus  with  children 
crowding  around  him.  Tom  thought  that  the  child  in  Jesus' 
arms  was  like  his  own  little  sister. 

Early  on  Christmas  morning  before  it  was  light  Tom  heard 
singing,  and  the  church  was  lighted.  From  his  little  window 
he  saw  the  lighted  windows  of  the  church,  and  there  was  a 
shining  picture  of  Mary  with  the  baby  Jesus  in  her  arms.  The 
boys  in  the  choir  were  singing  "Peace  on  earth,  good  will  to 
men !"  As  Tom  looked  and  listened  he  hoped  that  some  day 
he  too  would  be  singing  in  the  choir. 

Tom's  mother  carved  little  lambs  and  lilies  from  pieces  of 
wood  with  a  sharp  knife.  She  put  the  little  carvings  in  the 
window  and  the  people  who  passed  by  and  those  who  came 
to  service  in  the  great  church  often  bought  them  to  take  home 
to  their  children.  Sometimes  the  people  did  not  notice  the 
little  lambs  and  lilies  in  the  window,  and  then  there  was  no 
money  for  bread  from  the  bakers.  Then  Tom  and  his  mother 
and  baby  sister  were  hungry. 

One  night,  when  no  one  had  bought  a  little  carving,  Tom  lay 
on  his  little  bed  too  hungry  to  go  to  sleep.  Under  his  pillow 
lay  a  crust  of  bread.  Tom  had  saved  it  and  put  it  there  to 
surprise  his  little  sister,  for  she  sometimes  woke  early  and 
cried  for  something  to  eat.  Tom  thought  it  would  be  fun  to 
give  her  the  crust  in  the  morning.  He  planned  to  say  as  he 
gave  it  to  her,  "Here  is  a  New  Year's  gift  for  you!"  for  the 
next  morning  would  be  the  first  day  of  the  new  year. 

As  he  lay  there  thinking  about  the  crust,  Tom  took  it  out 
from  under  his  pillow  and  put  it  almost  to  his  mouth.  But  he 
laid  it  carefully  back  under  his  pillow  and  after  a  while  he 
went  to  sleep. 

The  next  morning  he  jumped  up  and  ran  to  his  little  sister, 
who  smiled  when  she  saw  the  brown  crust  in  Tom's  hand.    She 


152    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

was  so  happy  as  she  bit  off  little  pieces  with  her  tiny  white 
teeth  that  Tom  was  glad  that  he  had  saved  it  for  her. 

Then  Tom's  mother  asked  him  to  go  to  the  baker's,  and 
when  he  came  home  with  the  long,  crisp  loaf  of  bread,  warm 
from  the  oven,  they  ate  it  and  made  believe  it  was  a  great 
feast  because  it  was  a  holiday. 

Tom  loved  to  sing.  He  sang  as  he  worked  about,  sweeping 
the  house  and  the  little  door  step,  and  he  sang  songs  that 
amused  his  little  sister.  This  helped  very  much,  for  Tom's 
mother  wanted  to  be  at  her  carvings.  She  hoped  that  on  New 
Year's  Day  a  great  many  people  would  want  to  buy  them. 
Tom  sang  and  worked,  and  as  he  was  singing  a  Christmas 
hymn  an  old  friend  came  to  the  door.  It  was  Leo,  the  man 
who  cared  for  the  beautiful  church. 

"A  happy  New  Year  to  you  all!"  he  said.  "I  heard  Tom 
singing  as  I  was  on  my  way  to  dust  the  church.  The  choir- 
master wants  a  new  voice  for  the  choir  this  afternoon.  Come 
with  me,  Tom,  and  if  the  master  gives  you  a  bit  to  eat  for  your 
song  it  is  but  what  we  do  for  the  robins  when  they  sing." 

Tom  laughed.  It  was  fun  to  think  of  being  fed  like  a  happy 
little  robin,  and  he  hoped  his  song  would  be  worth  a  few 
crumbs. 

Tom  and  Leo  went  hand  in  hand  to  the  choirmaster's  house, 
and  Tom  sang  his  very  best  song  while  the  choirmaster  lis- 
tened. 

"Good!"  he  said  when  the  song  was  finished.  "Some  day 
when  you  have  studied,  you  will  sing  well!" 

"But !"  said  Tom,  "I  am  hungry  now!" 

The  choirmaster  looked  at  Tom  quite  sharply  and  pinched 
his  thin  cheek.  Then,  as  though  he  had  been  a  big,  friendly 
bear,  he  took  the  little  boy  in  his  arms  and  carried  him  to  the 
kitchen.  Tom  thought  himself  too  big  to  be  carried,  and  he 
was  glad  when  the  choirmaster  stood  him  on  a  chair  and  said 
to  a  woman  who  was  making  something  that  had  a  very  good 


A  LESSON  FOR  THE  NEW  YEAR  153 

smell,  "Martha,  bring  out  the  goose  and  the  pudding.  The 
lad  has  a  voice,  but  he  must  eat  and  grow  strong  before  he  can 
sing  as  well  as  he  should." 

Martha  brought  a  plate  piled  high  with  good  things,  and 
put  it  on  Tom's  lap  as  he  sat  by  the  fire.  Tom  looked,  but  he 
did  not  eat  and  Martha  thought,  "He  is  saying  his  blessing." 
Martha  waited  and  waited,  and  after  a  while  she  said,  "Eat, 
child,  while  the  goose  is  hot." 

But  Tom  said,  "If  you  will  let  me  take  it  home,  I  will  bring 
the  plate  back  without  breaking  it  and  I  will  sing  as  well  as  I 
can,  at  the  service  this  evening." 

There  was  enough  on  the  plate  for  them  all,  and  how  they 
would  enjoy  sharing  it! 

Martha  thought  for  a  moment  and  then  she  said,  "Yes,  you 
may,  and  I  will  go  with  you." 

So  away  they  went,  to  Tom  Tucker's  house,  Tom  carrying 
his  plate  and  Martha  with  half  of  the  choirmaster's  dinner 
under  a  napkin. 

They  had  a  merry  time  at  Tom  Tucker's  that  day — and 
when  it  was  over  Tom  ran  to  the  church  to  sing  with  the  choir 
boys.  They  sang  a  great  and  wonderful  song  as  they  marched 
across  the  grass  and  in  at  the  church  door.  Tom  had  often 
heard  them  sing  it,  so  he  knew  every  word,  and  sang  it  with 
his  whole  heart.  How  the  sound  of  the  boys'  voices  rang  out ! 
'Way  up  to  the  high,  dim  roof  the  church  was  filled  with  the 
lovely  sound,  and  it  went  out  through  the  windows,  to  Tom's 
mother,  who  was  listening,  as  she  worked  at  her  carving  in  the 
little  house  across  the  street. 

"Make  a  joyful  noise !"  sang  the  boys — 

"Make  a  joyful  noise  unto  Jehovah,  all  ye  lands. 
Serve  Jehovah  with  gladness : 
Come  before  his  presence  with  singing. 


154    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 


Enter  into  his  gates  with  thanksgiving, 

And  into  his  courts  with  praise : 

Give  thanks  unto  him,  and  bless  his  name." 

Activity: 

Making  bean-bags.  Make  as  many  bean-bags  as  there  are 
children  if  the  class  is  small.  Twelve  bags  makes  a  good  set 
for  use  in  a  large  group.  Half  of  the  bags  should  be  red  and 
the  other  half  blue.  This  will  help  in  keeping  the  score  when 
there  is  a  contest.  Make  the  bags  of  heavy  material,  8  inches 
square.  They  should  be  stitched  on  all  four  sides  with  three 
inches  left  open  for  filling.  The  children  may  turn  the  bags 
and  fill  them.  Allow  about  a  half  a  pint  of  beans  for  a  bag. 
The  boys  may  do  the  filling  and  the  girls  may  sew  up  the 
opening.    Let  it  be  done  with  strong  thread,  doubled. 

A  New  Year's  Song :    The  Seasons. 


g  ,  i  J 


mmm 


m 


pan 


¥ 


r 


r 


1.  Oh,    here    are      the   sea  -  sons,  One,  two,  three,  four,      Oh, 

2.  Just     aft  -  er       the  New  Year    They  hast  -  en       a  -  long      And 


ba  r  I  \^im-if=n 


^m 


¥ 


^—■r^ 


r 


here     are         the     sea  -  sons,    Please    o    •  pen       the      door, 
each      as        they     en  -  ter,       Will  sing     you        a        song.  | 


but 


m 


5= 


A  LESSON  FOR  THE  NEW  YEAR  155 

3  I  am  the  Spring  time;  5  I  am  the  Antumn; 

Come  join  my  glad  hours;  I  bring  you  bright  leaves, 

I  bring  you  the  sunshine,  Of  red-brown  and  yellow, 

The  birds  and  the  flow'rs.  And  fruit  of  the  trees. 

4  I  am  the  Summer;  6  I  am  the  Winter; 

A  feast  I  will  spread  Wherever  I  go 

Of  roses  and  strawberries,  I  spread  a  white  carpet 

Juicy  and  red.  Of  glittering  snow. 

(From  Ring  Songs  and  Games — The  Lucy 
Wheelock  Training  School.  Published  by 
Milton  Bradley,  Springfield,  Massachusetts. 
Used  by  permission.) 

This  song  can  be  dramatized  in  the  following  way :  The 
children  who  take  the  parts  of  the  seasons  may  wear  caps  of 
colored  paper:  for  spring,  green;  summer,  yellow;  autumn, 
red;  and  winter,  white.  After  the  teacher  has  sung  the  first 
verse  the  seasons  appear  from  behind  a  screen  or  from  another 
room  in  turn,  singing.  When  winter's  verse  is  sung  all  may 
join  in  singing  the  refrain  of  "Thank  the  Lord  for  all  his 
love,"  in  A  First  Book  in  Hymns  and  Worship,  No.  17. 

"All  good  things  around  us 

Are  sent  from  heaven  above; 

Then  thank  the  Lord, 

O  thank  the  Lord 
For  all  his  love." 

Service  of  Worship : 

Quiet  Music   (A  First  Book  in  Hymns  and  Worship). 

Hymn  :  Father,  We  Thank  Thee  (A  First  Book  in  Hymns 
and  Worship,  No.  15). 

Scripture  Reading  :     The  Memory  Work  for  the  month. 
King  Solomon,  the  son  of  David,  said : 
"My  son,  hear  the  instruction  of  thy  father, 
And  forsake  not  the  law  of  thy  mother:" 


156    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

"Withhold  not  good  from  them  to  whom  it  is  due, 
When  it  is  in  the  power  of  thy  hand  to  do  it." 

"A  worthy  woman  .  .  .  worketh  willingly  with  her  hands : 

And  the  law  of  kindness  is  on  her  tongue." 

"A  word  fitly  spoken 
Is  like  apples  of  gold  in  network  of  silver." 

"Go  thou  to  the  ant,  thou  sluggard ; 
Consider  her  ways,  and  be  wise." 

"The  ants  are  a  people  not  strong, 
Yet  they  provide  their  food  in  the  summer. 
The  conies  are  but  a  feeble  folk, 
Yet  make  they  their  houses  in  the  rocks." 

— Proverbs. 

Be  strong,  all  ye  people  of  the  land,  saith  Jehovah,  and  work. 

— Haggai  2.  4. 

Hymn  :  When  the  Winter  Winds  Do  Blow  (A  First  Book 
in  Hymns  and  Worship,  No.  50). 

"When  the  winter  winds  do  blow 
From  gray  clouds  the  feath'ry  snow, 
Warm  within  my  house  I  keep ; 
Leaves  and  flowers  go  to  sleep ; 
Every  little  bird  outside, 
Finds  the  coziest  place  to  hide ; 
Then  our  Father  watches  all 
Even  sees  a  sparrow  fall." 

Prayer:  Dear  Jesus,  friend  of  children,  who  went  about 
doing  good,  be  with  us  in  our  work  and  in  our  play.  Help 
us  to  play  fair  and  to  work  well.  Make  us  willing  to  be  glad 
when  others  win  and  keep  us  loving  and  busy.     Amen. 


A  LESSON  FOR  THE  NEW  YEAR  157 

Hymn  (chosen  by  the  children). 

Benediction:  (To  be  said  by  the  teacher,  all  standing, 
with  heads  bowed.) 

"The  Lord  bless  thee,  and  keep  thee : 
The  Lord  make  his  face  to  shine  upon  thee  and  be  gra- 
cious unto  thee : 
And  give  thee  peace.  Amen." 

Additional  Material:  Books  of  games. — 1.  Games,  by  Jes- 
sie Bancroft.  2.  The  Joyous  Book  of  Singing  Games,  by 
John  Hornby.  3.  Ring  Songs  and  Games — The  Lucy  Whee- 
lock  Training  School.  4.  Manual  of  Play,  by  William  Byron 
Forbush. 

Note  :  The  story  of  Tom  Tucker  was  written  long  ago  in  a 
foreign  tongue  and  the  scene  is  Flanders.  The  name  "Tom 
Tucker"  is  substituted  as  appropriate  for  a  name  that  has  been 
forgotten.  When  Martha  thought  that  Tom  was  saying  his 
grace  she  thought  of  the  Flemish  "bread  grace"  said  by  the 
peasant  children,  as  they  stood  around  the  table,  with  clasped 
hands  and  reverent  eyes :  "Oh,  dear  little  Jesus,  come  and  sup 
with  us,  and  bring  your  beautiful  mother  too.  We  will  not 
forget  that  you  are  God.    Amen." 

Open  the  December  mite  box  and  tell  the  children  how  the 
money  will  be  spent.  You  may  have  a  bill  for  materials  for 
Christmas  gifts,  and  it  is  wise  to  keep  a  small  fund  for  oranges 
or  other  attentions  for  the  children  who  are  ill. 


LESSON  XXVI 
THE  BOY  JESUS  IN  NAZARETH 

If  the  children's  play,  at  this  time,  is  to  give  action  to  theory 
and  become  an  influence  for  good,  a  guiding  mind  must  lead. 
See  that  the  games  are  played  in  such  a  way  as  to  develop 
morals.  The  rights  of  each  child  must  be  respected  and  all 
should  rejoice  with  those  who  win. 

After  several  singing  games,  march,  carrying  bean-bags  on 
your  heads  as  the  women  in  Bible  times  carried  their  water 
jars. 

Story:  When  Jesus  Was  Seven.  (Retell  The  Flight  into 
Egypt,  Lesson  XXIII.) 

So  Joseph  and  Mary  took  Jesus  to  live  in  Nazareth,  where 
they  had  lived  before  they  went  to  Bethlehem.  Jesus  grew 
and  learned  to  play  and  to  work.  He  had  brothers  and  sisters, 
for  other  little  children  came  to  Mary,  and  Jesus  was  the 
older  brother,  and  played  with  them,  and  also  with  the  other 
children  in  the  village.  They  played  their  games  in  the  warm, 
sunny  road  and  in  the  market  place.  They  liked  to  play  in 
the  market  place,  for  there  was  much  to  see.  People  from  far- 
away places  came  there  to  sell  figs  and  other  kinds  of  fruit  and 
tall  camels  came  and  went,  carrying  their  owners  perched  high 
on  their  backs.  Pretty  doves  were  for  sale,  in  cages  like  little 
baskets,  and  lambs  and  goats  could  be  bought,  too. 

The  children  of  Nazareth  made  little  pipes  like  whistles  and 
they  could  make  music  by  blowing  upon  them.  They  made  the 
little  pipes  as  David  did,  so  long  before,  from  reeds  and 
grasses  from  the  shore  of  the  lake.    They  called  making  music 

158 


THE  BOY  JESUS  IN  NAZARETH  159 

on  their  pipes  "piping"  and  while  one  child  piped  the  others 
danced. 

They  made  believe  that  they  were  keeping  house  and  played 
at  doing  all  the  things  they  saw  their  busy  mothers  do.  They 
gleaned  in  the  fields  and  made  just  a  little  bit  of  flour  by  grind- 
ing the  wheat  between  two  stones,  and  they  made  believe  carry 
heavy  water  jars  to  the  well.  They  played  at  weddings,  and 
often  they  made  believe  there  was  a  funeral.  Sometimes  the 
children  quarreled  and,  of  course,  when  that  happened  the 
game  was  spoiled. 

The  children  of  Nazareth  worked  too,  for  there  was  a  great 
deal  to  do,  and  children  could  help.  The  girls  went  to  the  well 
for  water  and  they  learned  to  make  little  cakes  by  mixing 
flour  with  water  and  baking  it  on  stones  made  hot  in  an  out- 
door fire. 

The  boys  whose  fathers  owned  sheep  learned  while  they 
were  seven  or  eight  years  old  to  be  good  shepherds.  They 
played  that  they  were  shepherds  long  before  they  were  big 
enough  to  care  for  real  sheep.  You  can  see  how  they  played  it. 
One  boy  would  be  the  shepherd  and  the  rest  of  the  children 
would  play  that  they  were  lambs  and  follow  the  shepherd 
wherever  he  went.  Then,  when  a  boy  was  thought  to  be  big 
and  brave  enough,  he  was  allowed  to  take  the  sheep  to  pasture. 
Sometimes  the  pastures  where  the  grass  was  green  were  far 
away  and  the  shepherd  and  his  sheep  stayed  all  night,  and 
rested  on  the  ground,  out  under  the  stars.  Wild  animals  lived 
in  the  caves  and  in  the  rocks  on  the  hillsides,  and  if  a  shepherd 
did  not  watch,  a  lion  or  a  bear  might  snatch  a  lamb  and  carry 
it  away.  A  good  shepherd  boy  always  carried  a  sling,  and 
some  stones  in  his  wallet. 

When  the  lambs  needed  water  the  shepherds  looked  until 
they  found  a  spring  or  well.  Often  they  walked  very  far  be- 
fore they  came  to  a  well,  and  then  it  was  hard  work,  drawing 
the  water  up  in  buckets.     Flat  stones  lay  about  these  wells, 


160    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

and  they  had  been  hollowed  out  to  make  cups  and  troughs. 
The  shepherds  poured  water  into  these  troughs  and  the  thirsty 
sheep  were  glad  to  drink.  Sometimes  two  or  three  shepherds 
came  to  a  well  at  the  same  time  and  they  needed  to  be  patient 
and  good-natured,  for  somebody  had  to  wait. 

Jesus  knew  all  about  the  work  of  shepherds  and  loved  to 
hear  stories  about  them,  but  his  work  was  in  the  carpenter  shop, 
helping  Joseph.  Jesus'  brother  James  worked  there  too,  and 
there  were  many  things  a  boy  could  do.  While  they  were  help- 
ing Joseph,  Jesus  and  James  learned  to  make  yokes  for  oxen 
and  benches  and  many  other  useful  things  that  the  people  of 
Nazareth  needed  and  came  to  buy. 

The  children  of  Nazareth  went  to  school,  and  sat  on  the 
floor  around  their  teacher.  They  learned  all  of  their  lessons 
by  heart  and  remembered  them  well.  There  were  holidays 
when  there  was  no  school  and  when  they  were  allowed  to  take 
long  walks.  Then  they  climbed  the  hills  and  looked  to  see 
what  was  beyond.  Every  child  looked  forward  to  taking  a 
journey  to  Jerusalem  some  day,  and  that  was  a  wonderful 
thing  to  tell  stories  about. 

So  Jesus  worked  and  played  when  he  was  no  taller  than 
you  are,  and  everybody  loved  him. 

Activity:  Play  "The  Seasons"  (Lesson  XXV). 

Decide  what  you  will  do  to  entertain  the  children  who  will 
join  you  for  the  review  lesson.  You  will  have  your  service  as 
usual,  and  games.  It  would  be  pleasant  to  give  each  guest  a 
little  gift,  so  at  this  time  think  over  the  things  you  have 
made  and  see  what  you  have  in  your  collections  that  you  can 
use.  If  you  have  some  clothespin  dolls,  shells,  clay  bowls,  and 
other  things  left  from  former  occasions,  they  may  be  given, 
or  you  can  make  something  new.  You  can  suggest  wrapping 
the  gifts  and  putting  them  into  a  grab-bag,  or  they  can  be 
placed  on  the  table  as  favors.     If  these  ideas  do  not  appeal, 


THE  BOY  JESUS  IN  NAZARETH  161 

mount  small  pictures  of  any  sort  and  write  a  familiar  verse 
on  the  back.  Pictures  found  in  magazines  will  do  if  neatly 
cut  and  carefully  selected. 

Service  of  Worship: 

Hymn  :  When  the  Winter  Winds  Do  Blow  (A  First  Book 
in  Hymns  and  Worship,  No.  50). 

Scripture  Reading  :  The  Memory  Work.  Ask  any  who 
remember  it  to  say  as  much  of  it  as  they  can  with  you.  Re- 
peat in  unison  the  memory  verses  learned  during  the  month  of 
December. 

Poem  :  Gentle  Child  of  Nazareth  ( sung  by  Syrian  mothers 
to  their  children). 

"Gentle  Child  of  Nazareth, 
Let  thy  life,  so  meek  and  tender, 
Make  us  glad  obedience  render 
To  our  father  and  our  mother, 
And  be  kind  to  one  another, 
Gentle  Child  of  Nazareth. 

"Wondrous  Child  of  Nazareth, 
Let  thy  early  love  of  learning, 
Set  our  youthful  spirits  yearning 
Daily  to  be  growing  wiser. 
Thou  our  teacher  and  adviser, 
Wondrous  child  of  Nazareth. 

"Holy  Child  of  Nazareth, 
Help  us  use  the  powers  lent  us, 
Do  the  work  of  Him  who  sent  us, 
Draw  to  thee  in  closer  union, 
Share  thy  people's  sweet  communion, 
Holy  Child  of  Nazareth." 

(Author  Unknown.) 


1 62     A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

Hymn:     The  Playmate  of  Nazareth   (A  First  Book  in 
Hymns  and  Worship,  No.  115). 

Prayer  (see  Lesson  XXV). 

Hymn:     The  Golden  Rule  (Songs  for  Little  People,  No. 
27). 

Benediction  (see  Lesson  XXV). 


LESSON  XXVII 

JESUS  OF  NAZARETH,  WHO  WENT  ABOUT 
DOING  GOOD 

Place  the  January  mite  box  on  the  table  and  propose  drop- 
ping what  you  can  into  it  so  that  there  will  be  money  to  buy 
material  for  a  set  of  bean-bags — a  gift  for  the  class  who  will 
visit  you  for  the  review.  Other  projects  that  would  take  the 
place  of  the  bean-bag  idea  would  be  gifts  for  any  members 
of  the  class  detained  at  home  for  any  reason.  Your  janitor 
may  need  a  notebook,  a  pencil,  cough  drops  or  an  eyeglass 
case.  The  old  woman  who  sells  papers  at  the  corner  may 
need  woolen  gloves.  The  postman  might  like  some  slight 
attention  paid  him.  Arrange  to  work  for  some  one  the  chil- 
dren know  and  let  the  children  do  most  of  it. 

Play  several  games  and  sing  "The  Seasons"  as  in  Les- 
son XXV. 

Story:      Jesus   of   Nazareth.      (Review    When   Jesus   was 
Seven. ) 

When  Jesus  grew  to  be  a  man  he  worked  harder  than  ever. 
Joseph  had  taught  him  to  be  a  carpenter,  and  for  a  while  he 
worked  with  his  tools.  But  Jesus  knew  that  there  was  work 
that  he  should  be  doing  for  the  heavenly  Father,  so  one  day 
he  went  away  from  home  to  preach,  and  to  teach  the  people 
about  heaven  and  about  earth  and  about  God,  who  is  every- 
where. There  were  so  many  people  to  teach  and  so  much 
work  to  do  for  the  heavenly  Father  that  Jesus  needed  helpers, 
and  he  asked  his  friends  Andrew  and  Peter,  who  were  fisher- 
men, to  go  about  with  him  and  help  him.    These  friends  loved 

163 


1 64     A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

Jesus  and  were  so  glad  that  he  wanted  them  to  go  with  him 
that  when  he  said,  "Come  ye  after  me,"  they  left  their  homes 
and  went  with  him.  As  they  went  Jesus  saw  two  other  men 
who  were  brothers.  Their  names  were  James  and  John,  and 
they  too  were  fishermen.  Jesus  called  to  them  to  follow  him, 
and  they  all  went  about  learning  how  to  teach  people  to  love 
God  and  each  other.  Jesus  told  the  people  stories  and  great 
crowds  followed  him.  He  was  patient  and  gentle  with  every 
one,  and  he  told  them  about  the  heavenly  Father  and  taught 
them  how  to  pray.  He  made  sick  people  well  and  every  one 
who  heard  about  him,  wanted  to  see  Jesus. 

Jesus  walked  miles  and  miles  over  sunny,  hot  roads.  He 
sailed  across  the  sea  and  back  again  many  times,  because  the 
people  everywhere  needed  him  so  much. 

One  day  Jesus  and  his  friends  went  to  church  in  one  of  the 
cities  through  which  they  often  walked.  When  the  people 
saw  Jesus  sitting  there  they  whispered  about  him,  and  when 
it  was  time  to  read  the  Bible  they  asked  him  to  read  to  them. 
When  he  had  read  they  asked  him  to  preach  to  them.  Of 
course  he  did  as  he  was  asked,  and  everyone  was  astonished 
because  of  what  he  said  and  the  interesting  way  he  said  it. 
When  the  service  was  over,  Jesus  went  to  Peter's  home  with 
him.  Peter's  home  was  a  sad  place  that  day,  for  the  mother, 
who  was  the  one  who  made  the  little  cakes  that  every  one  liked, 
and  the  porridge  when  they  wanted  it,  was  sick.  She  was 
very  sick  with  a  fever,  but  when  Jesus  came  he  went  to  her  and 
took  her  hand  in  his.  He  lifted  her  up  and  at  once  she  was 
well!  She  began  right  away  to  make  Jesus  and  Peter  and  all 
who  were  in  the  house  happy  and  comfortable. 

The  neighbors  heard  about  this  wonderful  thing  that  Jesus 
had  done,  and  they  told  so  many  people  about  it  that  when 
the  sun  went  down  that  night  there  was  a  great  crowd  in  the 
street  in  front  of  Peter's  house.  There  were  people  on  crutches 
and  sick  children  in  their  fathers'  arms.    Little  children  were 


JESUS  OF  NAZARETH  165 

leading  blind  mothers  and  fathers  and  there  were  blind  people 
leading  blind  people!  It  must  have  been  a  very  sad  sight. 
Jesus  stood  in  the  doorway  of  Peter's  house  and  talked  to 
the  people.  He  laid  his  hands  very  lovingly  on  them,  and  his 
heavenly  Father  helped  him  to  make  them  well. 

It  grew  dark  and  the  day  was  over  before  the  people  left 
the  doorway  of  Peter's  house.  It  had  been  a  very  busy  day, 
and  Jesus  had  done  very  wonderful  things.  These  wonderful 
things  are  called  miracles.     Do  you  know  about  miracles? 

"There  was  a  time  when  people  thought  that  God  was  far 
away.  They  knew  that  God  had  made  the  world,  but  they 
thought  that  after  he  had  made  it  he  had  gone  back  again 
into  heaven,  where  he  had  stayed,  for  the  most  part,  ever  since. 
But  sometimes  things  happened  here  on  earth  which  were  so 
wonderful  that  they  said,  'God  must  have  done  that' ;  and  these 
wonderful  things  they  called  miracles."  (From  "When  the 
King  Came,"  by  George  Hodges.) 

Note  :  Speak  of  some  of  the  miracles  of  Jesus  and  also  men- 
tion the  miracle  of  the  butterfly,  the  miracle  that  is  performed 
when  a  tree  with  its  great  branches  and  strong  roots  grows  from 
a  little  seed.  If  there  is  a  sunset  visible  from  your  classroom 
window,  watch  it.  If  the  January  sun  sets  later  than  your  class 
hour,  ask  the  children  to  watch  for  the  sunset  and  to  tell  you 
when  you  meet  again  how  many  colors  they  saw.  Help  them  to 
wonder  at  and  enjoy  the  miracles  that  happen  so  regularly  and 
so  often  that  we  forget  to  wonder,  yet  "worship  is  transcendent 
wonder." 

Activity:  "The  Seasons,"  as  given  in  Lesson  XXV. 

Mount  bright  anecdotes  and  funny  stories  clipped  from 
papers  and  magazines  for  sick  people  to  enjoy.  Use  colored 
cardboard  or  heavy  paper  for  mounting  and  arrange  several 
clippings  and  a  little  picture  or  decoration  on  each.  Explain 
that  we  can  help  sick  people  to  feel  better  by  amusing  them  in 


166    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

this  way.     Tell  where  you  are  going  to  send  the  cards,  men- 
tioning a  local  Home  or  hospital. 

Service  of  Worship : 

Hymn  :     When  the  Winter  Winds  Do  Blow. 

Poem:     Gentle  Child  of  Nazareth  (see  Lesson  XXVI). 

Scripture  Reading  :     The  Memory  Work.    Ask  the  chil- 
dren to  repeat  it  with  you. 

Hymn  (selected). 

Prayer  (see  Lesson  XXV). 

Music :     A  few  chords  played  softly. 

Benediction  (see  Lesson  XXV). 


LESSON  XXVIII 

A  FAITHFUL  WORKER  WHOSE  NAME  WAS 
SAMUEL 

If  you  are  teaching  in  a  church  building,  try  to  tell  this 
story  in  the  church,  with  the  children  seated  in  the  front  pews. 
In  place  of  the  usual  games  form  a  line  and  go  into  the  church, 
marching  up  one  aisle  and  down  another,  noting  quietly  the 
furnishings  and  speaking  of  the  care  that  must  be  given  them. 
The  Bible  in  most  churches  is  covered  with  a  cloth  during  the 
time  between  services.  Point  out  the  illuminated  texts  over  the 
pulpit  and  elsewhere,  if  there  are  such,  also  any  paintings, 
stained-glass  windows  and  carvings,  telling  something  of  the 
workers  who  made  them  and  of  the  beauty  of  the  work  they 
have  done  for  God's  house.  If  your  organist  is  practicing, 
ask  him  to  show  the  children  the  organ  and  play  for  them. 

You  may  be  able  to  make  a  pilgrimage  to  a  church  in  the 
neighborhood,  or,  if  going  to  church  is  impossible,  play  a 
favorite  game.  As  an  introduction  to  the  story  recall  "A 
Story  for  New  Year's  Day"  (Lesson  XXV)  and  show  pictures 
of  churches.  Think  of  the  things  that  children  can  do  to 
keep  a  church  beautiful. 

Story:     A  Faithful  Worker  Whose  Name  Was  Samuel. 

There  was  a  man  of  the  Children  of  Israel  whose  name  was 
Elkanah.  Elkanah's  home  was  in  the  country  and  on  his 
land  he  raised  grapes  and  figs.  Elkanah  worked  hard  in  his 
gardens,  and  Hannah  his  wife  worked  with  him,  but  Hannah 
was  unhappy  and  sometimes  she  was  lonely,  for  she  had  no 
children  to  care  for  and  to  love. 

167 


1 68    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

In  the  city  of  Shiloh,  far  away  from  the  home  of  Hannah 
and  Elkanah,  there  was  a  beautiful  church.  It  was  called  the 
tabernacle,  and  the  people  who  lived  near  often  went  to  the 
services  that  were  held  there.  Hannah  and  Elkanah  took  the 
long  journey  to  Shiloh  once  every  year  to  attend  a  beautiful 
service. 

Once,  when  Hannah  went  with  Elkanah  to  the  tabernacle, 
Hannah  prayed  that  God  would  send  her  a  son.  And  Hannah 
promised  in  her  prayer,  "If  thou  wilt  send  a  little  boy  to  me, 
I  will  give  him  to  work  for  thee  all  the  days  of  his  life."  As 
Hannah  prayed,  Eli,  who  was  standing  near,  watched  her. 
Eli  had  charge  of  the  tabernacle.  It  was  Eli  who  kept  the 
lights  burning  and  the  beautiful  things  that  were  in  the  taber- 
nacle in  order.  When  Eli  saw  Hannah  whispering  her  prayer, 
he  knew  that  she  meant  what  she  said,  and  he  knew  that  she 
was  unhappy,  but  he  did  not  know  why.  As  Hannah  left  the 
tabernacle  Eli  spoke  kindly  to  her  and  said,  "Go  in  peace;  and 
the  God  of  Israel  grant  thy  petition  that  thou  hast  asked  of 
him."    And  Hannah  was  glad  that  Eli  was  her  friend. 

Hannah  and  Elkanah  left  Shiloh  and  went  back  to  their 
home.  God  answered  Hannah's  prayer  and  sent  her  a  little 
son!  Now  Hannah  was  happy  and  she  named  her  baby 
Samuel,  for  that  means  "asked  of  God."  While  Samuel  was 
a  helpless  little  baby  Hannah  took  care  of  him.  But  when  he 
grew  to  be  a  boy  who  could  run  on  errands  and  remember  to 
do  as  he  was  asked,  Hannah  kept  her  promise  to  God.  She 
had  said  in  her  prayer,  "I  will  give  him  to  work  for  thee  all 
the  days  of  his  life." 

So,  one  day,  Hannah  took  Samuel  to  the  tabernacle,  and 
when  she  saw  Eli  she  said,  "I  am  the  woman  who  stood  by  thee 
long  ago,  praying.  I  prayed  for  a  child  that  day,  and  God  has 
answered  my  prayer.  I  promised  to  give  him  to  do  God's 
work,  and  so  as  long  as  he  lives  he  shall  work  in  God's  house." 
Eli  was  glad  to  hear  Hannah  say  that,  for  he  was  tired  and 


A  FAITHFUL  WORKER  169 

there  was  a  great  deal  that  a  little  boy  could  do  to  help.  When 
Hannah  went  away  Samuel  was  lonely,  but  Hannah  had  told 
him  stories  of  how  he  would  some  day  help  in  God's  house, 
and  of  the  things  that  he  would  do,  and  Eli  was  kind.  Samuel 
tried  to  do  his  work  well. 

The  tabernacle  was  a  very  beautiful  place.  Instead  of 
doors,  silk  curtains  hung  at  the  opening.  Samuel  ran 
and  drew  the  curtains  aside  every  morning  when  the  sun  rose. 
Each  night  at  sunset  time  he  drew  them  together.  Every 
morning  Samuel  filled  the  lamps  that  were  in  the  golden  can- 
dlestick. There  were  seven  lamps  and  Samuel  filled  them  all 
with  olive  oil,  and  trimmed  the  wicks  so  that  they  would  burn 
brightly.  When  Samuel  drew  the  curtains  together  at  sunset 
time  he  lighted  the  seven  lamps,  and  so  the  tabernacle  was 
always  light,  for  the  lamps  burned  all  night. 

Eli  always  lay  down  to  rest  in  the  tabernacle,  that  he  might 
be  there  to  care  for  it  at  night  as  well  as  in  the  day.  Samuel's 
little  bed  was  near  Eli,  and  Eli  loved  him,  for  he  was  a  good 
and  faithful  worker. 

When  a  year  had  passed,  Hannah  came  again  to  the  taber- 
nacle. She  brought  Samuel  a  coat  that  she  had  made  for 
him,  and  she  saw  that  he  was  growing  tall.  She  was  glad  when 
Eli  told  her  how  many  things  Samuel  did  to  keep  God's  house 
light  and  clean  and  beautiful. 

Samuel  stayed  with  Eli,  and  every  year  Hannah  came  and 
brought  him  a  new  coat.  Each  coat  needed  to  be  larger  than 
the  last,  for  Samuel  was  growing  very  tall  and  straight. 

One  night  as  Samuel  lay  on  his  bed,  and  it  was  very  still,  he 
heard  a  gentle,  kind  voice  say,  "Samuel,  Samuel."  Samuel 
ran  to  Eli  and  said,  "Here  am  I!"  but  Eli  said,  "I  called  not; 
lie  down  again."  And  Samuel  lay  down.  He  heard  the  voice 
again,  saying  to  him,  "Samuel,  Samuel,"  and  again  he  ran  to 
Eli.  "Here  am  I,"  he  said,  "for  thou  calledst  me."  Eli  an- 
swered, "I  called  thee  not,  my  little  son;  lie  down  again." 


1 70    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

Samuel  obeyed  Eli,  and  as  he  lay  there,  in  the  quiet  church, 
he  heard  again  the  gentle  voice  say  to  him,  "Samuel,  Samuel." 
This  time,  when  Samuel  went  to  Eli  and  said,  "Here  am  I," 
Eli  said,  "Thou  hast  heard  God's  voice.  If  he  calls  thee  again, 
say  to  him,  'Speak  Lord,  for  thy  servant  heareth.'  "  Samuel 
lay  down  and  as  he  looked  about  at  the  beautiful  colors  of  the 
curtains  and  saw  all  the  beauties  of  God's  house,  in  the  lamp 
light,  he  heard  as  before,  "Samuel,  Samuel !"  "Speak,  Lord," 
said  Samuel,  "for  thy  servant  heareth."  Then  Samuel  heard 
God's  voice  giving  him  some  messages  for  Eli,  and  Samuel 
was  still  and  listened.  The  messages  that  God  sent  to  Eli 
were  sad.  Eli's  sons  had  not  obeyed  God's  laws  and  were  to 
be  punished  for  the  wrong  things  that  they  had  done.  When 
God  stopped  speaking,  Samuel  lay  very  still.  When  the  sun 
rose  he  ran  and  drew  aside  the  curtains,  and  the  morning  light 
filled  the  tabernacle.  Samuel  did  not  go  to  Eli  as  he  usually 
did,  because  he  could  not  bear  to  give  him  God's  sad  messages. 
But  Eli  called  and  said :  "What  is  the  thing  that  the  Lord  hath 
said  unto  thee?  Hide  it  not  from  me."  Then  Samuel  ran 
to  Eli  and  told  him  every  word  that  God  had  said.  When  Eli 
heard  God's  messages  he  was  very  sad,  but  he  said,  "It  is  the 
Lord;  let  him  do  what  seemeth  good."  And  Eli's  sons  were 
punished  for  the  wrong  things  they  had  done. 

As  Samuel  grew  to  be  a  man  God  blessed  him,  and  all  the 
people  knew  that  he  had  been  chosen  to  be  a  messenger  of  God. 
Eli  was  more  and  more  tired,  and  so  the  people  asked  Samuel 
to  help  them,  and  Samuel  was  glad  to  do  all  of  the  work  of  the 
tabernacle  so  that  Eli  could  rest.  Samuel  heard  God's  voice, 
again  and  again. 

Activity : 

An  appropriate  occupation  for  to-day  would  be  repairing 
Sunday-school  hymn  books  if  there  are  any  torn  leaves.  The 
sexton  may  be  able  to  provide  you  with  some  work  for  the 


A  FAITHFUL  WORKER  171 

church;  or,  if  you  have  had  your  story  in  the  church,  give  the 
children  pencils  and  paper  and  let  them  copy  the  texts  that  may 
be  over  the  pulpit  and  elsewhere  upon  the  wall.  If  there  are 
no  texts,  ask  the  children  to  make  a  list  of  the  things  they  see 
and  would  like  to  talk  about.  Let  them  ask  questions ;  and,  if 
you  can,  ask  your  minister  (well  in  advance  of  this  lesson) 
to  come  in  at  this  time  and  talk  about  the  font,  the  Bible,  the 
windows,  etc. 

For  classes  that  meet  in  a  room  not  a  part  of  a  church  the 
activity  may  be  completing  the  gifts  for  the  children  who  will 
join  you  for  the  review,  or  they  may  copy  and  take  home  the 
verses  given  here. 

Service  of  Worship:      (This  service  may  take  place  in  the 
church,  if  the  story  was  told  there.) 
Hymn  :     The  Secret  (A  First  Book  in  Hymns  and  Wor- 
ship, No.  9). 

The  Secret 

"I  hear  God's  whisper  in  the  wind 
And  in  the  roaring  sea ; 
And  just  as  plainly  in  the  grass 
As  in  the  tallest  tree. 

"He  breathes  a  secret  in  my  ear, 

Though  I  am  very  small, 

He  says,  to  him  I  am  as  dear 

As  people  wise  and  tall." 

(Abbie  Farwell  Brown.1) 
Scripture     Reading:     The     Memory     Work     for     the 
month  and  the  verses  learned  with  the  first  group  of  lessons 
(see  Lesson  I). 
Prayer  (see  Lesson  XXV). 
Hymn  :     Father,  We  Thank  Thee. 
Benediction  (see  Lesson  XXV). 

'From  Songs  of  Sixpence,  Houghton  Mifflin  Company,  Publishers. 


172    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

For  the  Teacher:  A  word  about  the  tabernacle  may  be  in- 
teresting, especially  as  this  lesson  is  preparatory  to  lessons  that 
come  later,  concerning  the  ark  of  the  covenant.'  The  taber- 
nacle was  built  according  to  the  directions  given  to  Moses.  It 
was  forty-five  feet  long  and  fifteen  feet  wide.  It  was  divided 
into  two  rooms,  the  holy  place  and  the  Holy  of  holies,  and  a 
beautiful  curtain  of  embroidered  linen  hung  between.  The 
back  and  sides  of  the  tabernacle  were  of  wood,  but  the  roof 
was  made  of  the  skins  of  animals.  The  building  faced  the 
east,  and  beautiful  curtains  took  the  place  of  doors.  These 
curtains  were  drawn  aside  every  morning  and  drawn  together 
every  night  at  sundown. 

The  Holy  of  holies  was  a  very  sacred  place,  and  in  it  stood 
the  ark  of  the  covenant,  a  chest  made  of  gold  in  which  were 
kept  the  tables  of  stone  on  which  the  Commandments  were 
written.  In  the  holy  place  there  was  a  table  covered  with  gold 
on  which  stood  the  golden  candlestick  with  seven  branches. 
Each  branch  contained  a  little  cup  filled  with  oil  and  a  small 
wick.  The  people  brought  offerings  of  fine  oil  made  from 
olives  for  the  lamps,  and  they  were  lighted  every  night. 

The  people  who  lived  near  came  to  the  tabernacle  very  often 
to  bring  offerings  and  to  pray,  but  there  was  a  special  service 
once  a  year  for  those  who  lived  at  a  distance. 

Note:  If  you  are  going  to  provide  brooms  for  the  drill,  get 
them  before  the  next  lesson. 


LESSON  XXIX 
WORKING  WILLINGLY  WITH   OUR  HANDS 

Speaking  of  the  energy  of  childhood,  Dr.  Cope  says:  "One 
might  as  well  hope  to  plug  up  a  spring  in  the  hillside.  Our 
work  is  to  direct  that  activity  into  glad,  useful  service."  If 
the  children  have  been  interested  in  the  stories  of  Him  "who 
went  about  doing  good,"  they  are  ready  to  work  with  a  pur- 
pose, and  when  that  purpose  is  to  express  love  in  our  actions 
we  get  the  religion  of  work.  Children  can  help  in  a  very  real 
way  at  home,  and  "small  service  is  true  service  while  it  lasts." 

Form  a  circle  and  play  "Did  You  Ever  See  a  Lassie  ?"  Take 
the  part  of  the  lassie  yourself  and  show,  as  you  "go  this  way 
and  that  way,"  how  lassies  scrub,  sweep,  dust,  hush  the  baby, 
etc.  Remember  the  laddies  who  can  do  all  of  these  things  and 
shovel  coal,  hammer,  and  carry  heavy  things,  besides. 

When  the  game  is  over  give  each  child  a  square  of  bright- 
colored  cheesecloth  and  a  coarse  needle  threaded  with  em- 
broidery cotton.  Make  little  dusters  by  finishing  the  squares 
with  catch-stitch  or  chain-stitch.  Do  not  let  the  boys  think 
that  this  is  not  a  manly  occupation.  Remind  them,  if  the 
thought  arises,  that  tailors,  sailors,  and  bag,  tent,  and  shoe- 
makers all  sew — and  how  would  we  get  along  without  them ! 

Stories :  Review  stories  in  Lessons  I  and  X. 

A  Talk: 

I  have  a  surprise  for  you.  (Bring  out  the  little  brooms.) 
Yes,  we  are  going  to  sweep  and  dust.  But  first  look  at  this 
broom.  Every  bit  of  it  grew  out  of  doors.  The  handle  may 
have  been  the  straight  little  limb  of  a  big  tree.  The  brush 
part  is  corn,  broom  corn,  and  the  cord  that  holds  the  broom 

173 


174    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

corn  together  and  makes  a  brush  of  it  is  made  of  cotton  from 
the  sunny  fields  down  South.  Of  course  all  that  grows  out  of 
doors  is  rained  on,  so  brooms  can  be  washed,  often,  for  water 
will  not  hurt  them. 

Here  is  a  story  of  how  broom  corn  began  to  grow  in  Amer- 
ica, for  it  is  a  plant  that  belonged  to  India. 

Once  there  was  a  sea  captain  who  sailed  to  all  parts  of  the 
world.  Wherever  he  went  he  saw  strange  sights  and  found 
interesting  things,  and  some  of  these  things  he  brought  home 
to  his  friends  in  America.  Once  when  he  came  home  from  a 
long  voyage  he  brought  a  pretty  little  brush  and  gave  it  to  a 
lady  who  lived  in  Philadelphia.  She  had  never  seen  one  like 
it  before,  and  one  day  when  Benjamin  Franklin  was  calling 
upon  her  she  showed  it  to  him.  He  looked  at  the  little  brush 
very  carefully  and  found  that  it  was  made  from  a  plant.  He 
knew  that  it  would  be  a  good  plant  to  raise  if  such  good  little 
brushes  could  be  made  from  it,  and,  as  he  found  a  very  dry 
little  seed  clinging  to  one  of  the  whisks,  he  asked  if  he  might 
take  it  away  with  him.  He  planted  the  seed,  and  ever  since 
broom  corn  has  grown  in  America. 

Look  and  see  if  any  seeds  are  clinging  to  these  brooms  of 
ours.  We  will  plant  them  and  see  what  happens.  (If  you 
have  a  plant  or  a  window  box,  plant  the  seeds  at  once.)  There 
is  a  story  in  the  Bible  about  a  woman  who  had  a  broom  and 
swept  her  house.  I  will  read  it  to  you.  (Read  Luke  15.  8,  9.) 
That  is  one  of  the  stories  that  Jesus  told. 

Who  can  say  the  first  of  our  memory  verses?  (Repeat  all 
of  the  verses  and  follow  each  with  a  simple  explanation.) 

King  Solomon,  the  son  of  David,  said: 

"My  son,  hear  the  instruction  of  thy  father, 
And  forsake  not  the  law  of  thy  mother:" 

King  Solomon  meant  that  children  should  obey  their  fathers 
and  mothers. 


WORKING  WILLINGLY  WITH  OUR  HANDS     175 

"Withhold  not  good  from  them  to  whom  it  is  due, 
When  it  is  in  the  power  of  thy  hand  to  do  it." 

Children  can  do  a  great  many  helpful  things  for  the  people 
who  need  help.  All  tired  people,  and  little  babies,  and  all 
whom  we  know  and  love,  and  a  great  many  people  whom  we 
never  see,  are  those  "to  whom  it  is  due." 

"A  worthy  woman  .  .  .  worketh  willingly  with  her  hands : 

And  the  law  of  kindness  is  on  her  tongue." 

Children  can  work  with  their  hands  too,  and  the  law  of 
kindness  is  the  Golden  Rule.     Who  can  say  it? 

"A  word  fitly  spoken 
Is  like  apples  of  gold  in  network  of  silver." 

It  would  be  a  beautiful  sight  to  see  apples  of  gold  in  net- 
work of  silver.  A  basket  is  sometimes  all  network,  so  perhaps 
King  Solomon  meant  a  lovely,  bright  basket  made  of  silver. 
Kind,  loving,  helpful  words  are  as  beautiful  as  apples  made 
of  gold  (or  the  real,  yellow  kind  that  taste  sweet)  in  a  silver 
basket. 

"Go  to  the  ant,  thou  sluggard ; 
Consider  her  ways,  and  be  wise." 

A  sluggard  is  a  lazy  person.  King  Solomon  tells  the  lazy 
people  to  watch  the  ants,  for  the  ants  are  very  busy  people  and 
work  all  the  time. 

"The  ants  are  a  people  not  strong, 
Yet  they  provide  their  food  in  the  summer. 
The  conies  are  but  a  feeble  folk, 
Yet  make  they  their  houses  in  the  rocks." 

Ants  take   food  into  their  hills  in  summer  and  keep  it 


176    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

until  winter  comes,  when  they  cannot  find  the  things  they  like 
to  eat.  Conies  are  rabbits,  and  they  climb  among  the  rocks 
and  make  their  homes  in  the  small  caves. 

"Be  strong,  all  ye  people  of  the  land,  saith  Jehovah,  and 
work." 

Activity:  A  Broom  Drill. 

Have  the  children  march  into  the  room,  and  each  take  a 
broom  from  a  stack  arranged  in  a  convenient  place  on  the  line 
of  march.  Let  them  carry  the  brooms  as  muskets  in  the  right 
hand,  and  take  their  places  on  the  floor  as  they  would  in  a 
gymnasium.  Have  the  dusters  in  the  pockets  or  tucked  in  the 
belts.  The  teacher  should  stand  facing  the  children,  at  a  little 
distance,  and  demonstrate  the  motions  as  she  gives  the  fol- 
lowing directions. 

Cobwebs. — First,  twist  your  brooms  around  and  around 
four  times  with  the  right  hand,  then  change,  and  do  it  with 
the  left  hand  four  times. 

Walls. — Next,  you  must  brush  down  the  walls.  Hold  the 
broom  with  both  hands,  and  raise  it.  Lower  and  raise  eight 
times,  as  though  you  were  brushing  the  dust  lightly  from  the 
wall  directly  in  front  of  you. 

Corners. — Now  make  the  motion  for  brushing  the  dust  from 
the  corners  of  the  floor.  To  do  this,  make  four  strokes  for- 
ward and  to  the  right,  as  though  there  were  a  corner  there; 
and  then  do  the  same  toward  the  left,  four  times  also. 

Floor. — Finally  sweep  the  floor.  Hold  your  broom  as  you 
would  for  real  sweeping,  and  take  four  steps  forward,  sweep- 
ing as  you  go,  and  four  steps  back  again.  Then  repeat  with 
the  broom  on  the  other  side  of  your  body.  Now  sweep  with 
short  strokes,  as  though  collecting  the  dust  in  a  pile  at  your 
feet. 

Then  we  illustrate  dusting.  Hold  the  broom  in  the  left 
hand  and  take  the  duster  out  of  your  apron  pocket  with  the 


WORKING  WILLINGLY  WITH  OUR  HANDS 


177 


right  hand.  Stand  on  tiptoe  and  "make  believe"  that  yon  are 
dusting  a  high  shelf  or  a  molding,  passing  the  duster  back  and 
forth  four  times.  Imagine  for  a  moment  that  a  table  is  be- 
fore you  and  dust  the  top  of  it  around  and  around.  Draw 
the  duster  up  and  down  as  though  dusting  the  legs  of  a  table, 
twice  to  the  right  and  twice  to  the  left.     Stoop  a  little,  as  you 


would  have  to  do  if  the  table  were  really  there.  Stand  up, 
for  the  dusting  is  done,  and  take  four  steps  forward  and  four 
steps  backward,  waving  your  duster  above  your  head. 


178     A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 
Broom  Drill 

Alicr  R.  Baldwin 

Slowly.  L.  h.  Cobwebs. 


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WORKING  WILLINGLY  WITH  OUR  HANDS     179 


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180    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

Corners.  . 


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WORKING  WILLINGLY  WITH  OUR  HANDS     181 

dusters.  Dusting  high. 


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Dusting  table  legs. 


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(  From  "The  Child  Homekeeper."     Used  by  permission. ) 


1 82     A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

Service  of  Worship:   Quiet  Music. 

Hymn:  The  Playmate  of  Nazareth  (A  First  Book  in 
Hymns  and  Worship,  No.  115). 

Scripture  Reading:  The  Memory  Work  learned  in 
November. 

Prayer  (see  Lesson  XXV). 

Hymn  (selected). 

Benediction  (see  Lesson  XXV). 


LESSON  XXX 
PREPARING  FOR  A  GREAT  WORK 

This  story  of  the  anointing  of  David  shows  the  need  of 
preparation  for  important  work,  and  it  will  also  introduce  the 
lessons  in  the  next  group  that  tell  of  David's  kingship. 

All  of  our  games  and  plays,  played  honestly  and  well,  are 
definite  preparation  for  work  later  in  life.  "Through  the 
loyalty  and  self-sacrifice  developed  in  team  games  by  mutual 
consent  and  control,  we  are  laying  the  foundations  for  wider 
loyalty  and  a  more  discerning  self-devotion  to  the  great  na- 
tional ideals  on  which  democracy  rests." 

(Luther  Gulick,  in  A  Philosophy  of  Play.) 

Bring  out  the  bean-bags  and  after  a  game  or  two,  sing  "The 
Seasons"  with  the  dramatization  (Lesson  XXV). 

Story:  (Review  what  the  children  know  about  the  work  of 
shepherds,  and  the  story  of  David,  the  shepherd  boy. 
Ask  a  child  to  tell  the  story  of  Samuel,  the  faithful  worker 
in  God's  house,  and  compare  the  work  done  by  David 
and  Samuel.  Talk  about  kings  and  speak  of  the  charac- 
teristics of  a  good  king.  Conclude  that  a  good  king 
should  love  his  people  and  try  to  make  them  good  and 
happy.  A  good  king  must  know  how  to  work  hard,  and 
he  must  be  unselfish.  Samuel  and  David  lived  in  the  same 
country,  but  Samuel  was  much  older  than  David — old 
enough  to  be  his  grandfather.  Here  is  a  story  of  a  visit 
that  Samuel  made  to  David's  home  when  Samuel  was  an 
old  man.  Samuel  was  still  listening  to  God's  voice  and 
doing  all  that  God  told  him  to  do. ) 

i83 


1 84    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

The  Children  of  Israel  were  greatly  troubled  by  a  warlike 
tribe  of  people  called  the  Philistines,  who  lived  just  across  the 
border  of  Israel's  country  and  who  wanted  to  get  the  country 
for  themselves.  These  Children  of  Israel  needed  a  king  to 
lead  them,  and  Samuel  chose  a  king  for  them.  He  chose  Saul, 
for  Saul  seemed  to  be  brave  and  good.  But  after  a  while  the 
people  began  to  see  that  Saul  was  selfish  and  lazy.  He  was 
not  a  good  general  for  the  army,  because  he  thought  only  of 
himself. 

Then  God  spoke  to  Samuel  again,  and  said,  "Go  to  the  home 
of  Jesse,  in  Bethlehem,  for  I  have  found  a  new  king  among 
his  sons." 

Samuel  started  at  once  to  do  this  thing  for  God,  and  over 
the  hills  he  went,  to  Bethlehem.  It  was  a  long  walk.  Samuel 
carried  with  him  a  horn  of  oil,  for  Samuel  was  going  to  ap- 
point a  new  king,  and  it  was  the  custom  to  bathe  the  head  of 
the  one  who  was  chosen  with  oil.  They  called  it  anointing  the 
head  with  oil.  Samuel  came  to  Bethlehem,  and  went  to  Jesse's 
house.  Jesse  was  the  father  of  David,  and  David  had  seven 
brothers.  Samuel  told  Jesse  why  he  had  come,  and  Jesse  was 
pleased.  He  was  glad  that  one  of  his  sons  was  to  be  king, 
and  he  sent  for  his  sons,  that  Samuel  might  choose  one  of  them. 
When  the  oldest  of  David's  brothers  stood  before  Samuel, 
Samuel  thought,  "Surely  this  tall  man  with  his  fine  face  will 
make  a  good  king."  But  God  spoke  to  Samuel  and  said, 
"Look  not  upon  his  face  but  upon  his  heart."  Then  Samuel 
knew  that  this  oldest  brother  was  not  ready  to  work  hard  to 
make  the  people  safe,  and  he  called  for  the  next  of  David's 
brothers.  He  too  was  tall  and  straight,  as  were  the  next  and 
the  next;  but  Samuel  chose  none  of  them,  for  he  saw  that  they 
were  all  too  selfish  and  too  lazy  to  make  good  kings. 

Then  Samuel  said  to  Jesse,  "Are  here  all  thy  children  ?"  and 
Jesse  said,  "There  remaineth  yet  the  youngest,  and,  behold, 
he  is  keeping  the  sheep."    Then  Samuel  said,  "Send  and  fetch 


PREPARING  FOR  A  GREAT  WORK  185 

him."  And  Jesse  sent  and  brought  David  in  from  the  fields. 
Now,  David  was  tall  for  his  age,  and,  like  his  brothers,  he  had 
a  fine  face.  The  Bible  says  that  he  was  "good  to  look  upon." 
His  face  was  sunburned  and  his  hair  was  blown  about  by  the 
wind.  He  did  not  look  like  a  lazy  boy,  and  as  Samuel  looked 
upon  him  God  said  to  Samuel,  "Anoint  him,  for  this  is  he." 
And  Samuel  poured  the  oil  upon  David's  head  as  he  stood 
among  his  brothers. 

David  went  back  to  his  sheep,  but  now  there  was  a  differ- 
ence. He  remembered  that  he  was  to  be  a  king,  and  he  thought 
of  all  the  enemies  he  would  have  to  fight.  He  would  be  at 
the  head  of  an  army,  and  as  he  watched  his  sheep  or  led  them 
to  a  new  pasture  he  thought  in  the  way  that  any  boy  would 
think  of  all  the  work  he  would  do  for  his  people  and  of  how 
he  would  help  them  to  be  brave  and  good. 

But  David  did  not  forget  his  sheep  as  he  thought  of  the  great 
days  to  come;  but  worked  hard  to  make  them  comfortable. 
He  would  walk  any  distance  to  find  a  well  or  a  spring  where 
they  could  drink  and  it  was  like  practicing  at  being  a  king 
to  protect  the  lambs  from  their  enemies.  He  hardly  dared  to 
sleep  on  the  nights  when  he  stayed  in  the  pastures  with  them, 
lest  a  lion  or  a  bear  should  come,  and  he  worked  at  shooting 
stones  from  his  sling  until  his  aim  was  straight. 

So  David,  who  was  to  be  a  great  king,  worked,  knowing 
that  the  Lord,  who  was  his  Shepherd,  had  a  great  work  for  him 
to  do  when  he  was  ready  to  do  it. 

Activity : 

If  another  week-day  class  is  coming  to  join  you  for  the  re- 
view, it  is  time  that  the  children  were  making  a  definite  plan. 
If  you  have  made  gifts,  as  suggested  in  Lesson  XXVI,  bring 
them  out  and  count  them,  making  sure  that  you  have  one  for 
each  visitor,  and  be  careful  that  everything  is  finished.  If  you 
did  not  make  or  finish  gifts,  you  may  propose  making  a  set  of 


1 86    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

bean-bags,  six  red  and  six  blue,  to  be  a  gift  for  the  visiting 
class. 

The  broom  drill  should  be  practiced,  as  you  will  probably 
use  it  as  a  part  of  the  program  for  the  review. 

Service  of  Worship: 

Hymn:     The  Playmate  of  Nazareth    (A  First  Book  in 
Hymns  and  Worship,  No.  115). 

Scripture  Reading  :     The  Memory  Work  for  three  groups 
of  lessons. 

Poem  :     Gentle  Child  of  Nazareth. 

Hymn:     The  Secret. 

Prayer  (see  Lesson  XXV). 

Hymn  (selected). 

Benediction   (see  Lesson  XXV). 

For  the  Teacher: 

"Teach  me,  my  God  and  King, 
In  all  things  thee  to  see, 
And  what  I  do  in  everything 
To  do  it  as  for  thee. 

"A  servant  with  this  clause 
Makes  drudgery  divine: 
Who  sweeps  a  room  as  by  thy  laws 
Makes  that  and  the  action  fine." 

(George   Herbert— 1 593-1632.) 


LESSON  XXXI 
CHILDREN  WORKING  FOR  THEIR  FRIENDS 

Play  several  singing  games  and  march  before  you  tell  the 
story.  The  children  may  like  to  decide  upon  the  story  to  be 
told  in  the  following  way:  Give  the  children  pencils  and 
paper  and  ask  them  to  write  the  name  of  a  story  they  would 
like  to  hear.  Give  them  time  to  think  and  have  the  room  very 
still.  Ask  a  boy  to  collect  the  papers  and  another  to  read  the 
names  of  the  stories.  Tell  the  story  asked  for  by  the  greatest 
number  and  discuss  several  others.  If  you  prefer,  tell  two 
stories — one  of  the  Bible  stories  in  this  group  and  one  of  those 
listed  as  additional. 

Remind  the  children  that  another  class  has  been  invited  to 
enjoy  the  next  lesson  with  them  and  ask  them  to  come  early, 
ready  to  greet  their  guests. 

Activity: 

Rehearse  the  broom  drill  and  "The  Seasons,"  as  these  ex- 
ercises will  form  part  of  the  entertainment.  (See  Lesson 
XXXII.) 

Service  of  Worship: 

Quiet  Music. 

Hymn:  The  Playmate  of  Nazareth  (A  First  Book  in 
Hymns  and  Worship,  No.  115). 

Scripture  Reading:  The  Memory  Work,  repeated  by 
the  children. 

Prayer  (see  Lesson  XXV). 
187 


1 88     A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

Hymn  :  Father,  We  Thank  Thee  (A  First  Book  in  Hymns 
and  Worship,  No.  15). 

Benediction  (see  Lesson  XXV). 

Additional  Stories  About  Work:  1.  "Where  Love  is  There 
is  God,"  in  many  story  collections.  Told  simply  and  well  by 
Eleanor  Marchbanks  in  her  School  Ethics.  2.  "The  Pony 
Engine,"  in  Happy  Tales  for  Story-time,  by  E.  L.  and  A.  M. 
Skinner.  3.  "The  Sailor  Man,"  in  Golden  Windows,  by  Laura 
Richards.  4.  "How  the  Home  Was  Built,"  in  Mother  Stories, 
by  Maud  Lindsay. 


LESSON  XXXII 
REVIEW 

The  children  who  remembered  and  came  early  may  help  to 
make  the  room  ready  for  visitors.  The  brooms  and  dusters 
may  be  stacked  ready  for  the  drill  and  the  basket  with  the  bean- 
bags  in  place,  ready  for  a  game.  Make  the  children  responsible 
for  the  pleasure  of  all  and  see  that  they  understand  that  the 
guests  are  to  be  considered  first  in  everything  that  takes  place 
during  the  hour.  Appoint  two  children  to  show  the  strangers 
where  to  hang  their  hats  and  coats. 

Form  a  circle  as  soon  as  enough  children  have  arrived,  and 
play  several  singing  games  that  are  familiar  to  all.  A  good 
game  of  bean-bags  may  follow,  then  a  march,  the  leader  bring- 
ing the  children  to  the  chairs  that  have  been  placed  in  a  circle, 
ready  for  the  story  period. 

Stories:  Tell  The  Boy  Jesus  in  Nazareth  and  Jesus  of 
Nazareth  Who  Went  About  Doing  Good  (Lessons  XXVI 
and  XXVII ) ,  or  A  Faithful  Worker  Whose  Name  Was 
Samuel  and  Preparing  for  a  Great  Work  (Lessons 
XXVIII  and  XXX). 

Activity: 

The  Broom  Drill,  as  a  part  of  the  entertainment.  When  it 
is  over,  hand  the  brooms  and  dusters  to  the  visitors  and  let 
them  enjoy  the  drill  through  doing  it  themselves. 

The  visiting  class  may  have  planned  some  little  exercise,  for 
your  pleasure,  so  do  not  forget  to  give  them  an  opportunity 
to  perform. 

189 


190    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

Service  of  Worship: 

Quiet  Music. 

Hymn  (chosen  by  the  visitors). 

Scripture  Reading  :     The  Memory  Work,  repeated  by  the 
visitors.     The  Memory  Work,  repeated  by  your  own  class. 

Poem  :     Gentle  Child  of  Nazareth. 
Prayer:     The  Lord's  Prayer. 

Hymn  (one  that  is  known  and  loved  by  both  classes). 
Benediction  : 
"The  Lord  bless  thee,  and  keep  thee  : 
The  Lord  make  his  face  to  shine  upon  thee  and  be  gra- 
cious unto  thee : 
And  give  thee  peace.  Amen." 


V.     LESSONS  IN  LOYALTY 


XXXIII. 

Loyalty  to  God. 

XXXIV. 

A  Boy  Who  Was  Loyal  to  His  King. 

XXXV. 

A  King  Loyal  to  His  People. 

XXXVI. 

A  Great  Procession. 

XXXVII. 

The  King  of  Glory  (A  Drama). 

XXXVIII. 

Loyal  Citizens. 

XXXIX. 

The  Loyal  Child. 

XL. 

Review. 

!emory  Work: 

The  earth  is  Jehovah's,  and  the  fullness  thereof ; 

The  world,  and  they  that  dwell  therein. 

For  he  hath  founded  it  upon  the  seas, 

And  established  it  upon  the  floods. 

Who  shall  ascend  into  the  hill  of  Jehovah?    And  who  shall 

stand  in  his  holy  place? 
He  that  hath  clean  hands,  and  a  pure  heart ; 
Who  hath  not  lifted  up  his  soul  unto  falsehood,  and  hath  not 

sworn  deceitfully. 
He  shall  receive  a  blessing  from  Jehovah, 
And  righteousness  from  the  God  of  his  salvation. 
This  is  the  generation  of  them  that  seek  after  him,  that  seek 

thy  face,  even  Jacob. 
Lift  up  your  heads,  O  ye  gates; 
And  be  ye  lifted  up,  ye  everlasting  doors: 
And  the  King  of  glory  will  come  in. 
Who  is  the  King  of  glory? 

Jehovah,  strong  and  mighty,  Jehovah  mighty  in  battle. 
Lift  up  your  heads,  O  ye  gates; 
Yea,  lift  them  up,  ye  everlasting  doors : 
And  the  King  of  glory  will  come  in. 
Who  is  this  King  of  glory  ? 
Jehovah  of  hosts, 
He  is  the  King  of  glory. — Psalm  24. 


LESSON  XXXIII 
LOYALTY  TO  GOD 

February  has  come  to  be  the  month  when  patriotism  is 
taught  more  often  than  at  other  times  because  of  the  birthdays 
of  two  great  heroes.  In  order  to  help  the  children  to  realize 
the  need  of  a  patriotism  that  is  religious  we  will  study  the 
picture  of  a  people  enthusiastically  creating  a  symbol  of  their 
great  unseen  leader,  Jehovah.  These  stories  of  the  Children 
of  Israel  show  very  clearly  the  need  of  every  nation  for  the 
leadership  of  God. 

Every  child  is  individually  responsible  in  his  relation  to 
God  and  his  country  and  needs  to  be  taught  how  to  discharge 
his  duty. 

The  games  that  have  been  enjoyed  may  be  dropped  for  a 
time  and  marches  and  other  exercises  substituted.  If  you  can, 
call  upon  a  group  of  Girl  or  Boy  Scouts  for  assistance  in  con- 
ducting these  lessons.  Campfire  Girls  would  be  most  helpful 
also,  and  all  of  these  organizations  give  credit  in  some  form 
for  such  service.  These  young  leaders  will  need  guidance,  and 
your  best  way  will  be  to  plan  at  the  close  of  each  lesson  for  the 
next.  The  "Directions  for  Leaders"  are  addressed  to  the 
Scouts  who  take  charge  of  this  first  short  period. 

Directions  for  Leaders: 

Leaders  should  be  on  hand  before  the  children  arrive.  Form 
a  line,  allowing  those  who  come  late  to  fall  in.  The  leaders 
should  carry  the  flags,  the  church  flag  and  the  American  flag, 
and  lead  the  children,  two  by  two,  into  the  church,  up  one  aisle 
and  down  another.  Give  all  orders  clearly  and  expect  obedi- 
ence. After  the  march  salute  both  flags  and  bring  the  children 
to  the  chairs  in  good  order. 

193 


194    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

Story: 

When  David  was  a  boy  he  loved  stories.  David  knew  many 
of  the  stories  that  we  know  and  he  loved  to  hear  them  again 
and  again.  He  knew  the  story  of  Adam  and  Eve,  and  about 
Noah  and  the  Flood,  but  best  of  all  he  liked  the  stories  about 
the  Children  of  Israel  leaving  Egypt  with  Moses,  and  taking 
that  long,  long  journey  to  their  new  home.  The  story  of  how 
the  Children  of  Israel  built  their  tent  church  was  one  of  his 
favorites,  and  we  like  to  hear  it  too. 

God  was  showing  the  Children  of  Israel  the  way  to  their 
new  home.  God  spoke  to  Moses  and  told  him  how  to  care  for 
the  people,  and  Moses  did  as  God  said.  It  was  a  long  journey 
and  the  people  could  not  travel  fast,  for  there  were  little  chil- 
dren who  could  not  walk  very  fast  and  flocks  of  sheep  to  be 
led,  and  everything  to  be  carried. 

When  they  rested  the  people  pitched  their  tents  and  camped. 
The  mothers  cooked  the  children's  food  over  out-of-doors  fires 
and  spun  the  lambs'  wool  into  yarn  for  making  coats  and  rugs. 
The  fathers  took  care  of  the  camels  and  donkeys  and  led  the 
sheep  and  goats  to  places  where  the  grass  was  green.  Some- 
times the  Children  of  Israel  rested  for  a  long  time,  and  some- 
times they  gathered  up  their  things  and  went  on  very  soon. 
When  it  was  time  to  go,  the  mothers  rolled  up  the  beds,  that 
were  like  quilts,  and  the  fathers  put  the  great  bundles  on  the 
camels'  backs.  They  folded  the  tents  and  took  down  the  poles. 
The  donkeys  and  horses  carried  the  tents  and  everybody  went 
along  in  a  great  procession.  The  children  ran  and  played  as 
they  went  and  the  fathers  led  the  sheep  and  goats.  There  was 
a  great  deal  of  noise  and  excitement,  as  there  always  is  when 
people  start  on  a  journey,  and  this  was  like  a  city  full  of  people 
all  starting  at  once ! 

As  they  journeyed  the  Children  of  Israel  came  near  a  moun- 
tain called  Mount  Sinai,  and  camped  there.     Moses  left  the 


LOYALTY  TO  GOD  195 

noisy  people  and  the  confusion  and  went  up  on  Mount  Sinai 
to  talk  with  God.  On  that  quiet  mountaintop  God  told  Moses 
that  the  Children  of  Israel  were  to  build  a  beautiful  church 
where  they  could  go  and  be  still,  and  know  that  God  was  caring 
for  them.  God  told  Moses  that  the  church  was  to  be  a  tent 
church,  so  that  the  people  could  take  it  with  them  when  they 
went  on  with  their  journey.  The  tent  was  to  be  made  of  fine, 
soft  linen  and  bright  silk,  and  the  poles  were  to  be  covered 
with  brass  and  gold.    The  church  was  to  be  called  a  tabernacle. 

God  said  that  a  box  must  be  made  of  gold,  and  that  the 
Ten  Commandments  must  be  kept  in  it.  God  called  the  box 
''the  ark,"  and  said  that  there  should  be  two  angels  made  of 
gold,  kneeling  upon  the  top  of  the  box.  The  angels  were  to 
have  gold  wings,  spread,  as  a  bird  spreads  its  wings  to  fly. 
And  God  said  when  he  had  told  Moses  about  the  ark,  "There 
I  will  meet  with  thee." 

There  were  other  things  to  be  made  for  the  tabernacle. 
There  was  to  be  a  great  candlestick — the  one  that  Samuel 
cared  for,  you  know.  There  were  to  be  tables  covered  with 
gold,  and  dishes  with  shining  precious  stones  around  the  edge. 
The  tabernacle  was  to  be  a  very  wonderful  house  of  God. 

There  were  very  clever  people  among  the  Children  of  Israel. 
Some  of  them  were  artists  and  could  make  curtains  beautiful 
with  colored  designs.  Some  of  them  could  work  in  brass  and 
gold.  They  knew  how  to  melt  it  and  shape  it  into  cups  and 
dishes,  and  they  knew  how  to  make  it  into  thin  sheets  and 
cover  tent  poles  and  tables  with  it.  God  had  made  their  hands 
able  to  do  these  things.  God  spoke  to  Moses  about  these 
artists  and  said  that  he  had  made  them  able  to  do  this  work 
for  the  tabernacle. 

When  Moses  came  down  the  mountain  after  talking  with 
God,  his  face  was  bright  and  shining.  He  called  the  people 
together  and  told  them  the  things  that  God  had  said.  When 
the  people  heard  about  the  tabernacle  that  was  to  be  made 


196    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

they  ran  to  their  tents  and  brought  the  most  lovely  things  that 
they  had  to  Moses.  Some  of  them  had  bracelets  and  earrings 
made  of  gold,  and  chains  and  precious  stones.  Some  had 
bright  silks  to  give,  and  others  brought  oil  for  the  lamps. 
Then  the  artists  whom  God  had  taught  made  a  blue  curtain 
to  hang  inside  of  the  tabernacle  and  another  curtain  to  hang  in 
front,  for  a  door.  They  made  the  ark  and  the  angels  of  gold 
with  their  wings  spread.  They  made  dishes  and  bowls  and  the 
great  candlestick  with  seven  lamps  in  it.  They  covered  the 
tall  poles  of  cedar  with  gold,  and  so,  after  a  great  deal  of  work, 
the  tabernacle  was  finished,  and  God  was  there,  and  his  glory 
filled  the  whole  place.  The  people  knew  that  God  was  there, 
for  when  they  saw  the  ark  they  remembered  that  he  had  said 
to  Moses,  "There  I  will  meet  with  thee." 

Activity: 

Making  scrolls  on  which  to  write  the  memory  work — Psalm 
24.  The  children  write  large,  and  a  great  deal  of  space  should 
be  provided.  The  paper  that  comes  with  rolls  of  very  wide 
ribbon  can  be  used,  but  wrapping  paper  such  as  is  used  in  drug 
stores,  about  twelve  inches  wide,  is  better  and  stronger.  Pro- 
vide about  two  feet  of  paper  for  each  child.  For  each  scroll 
you  will  want  three  pieces  of  paper;  the  length  on  which  the 
writing  is  to  be  done,  and  an  oblong  to  paste  at  either  end  to 
be  rolled  into  the  rods.  This  has  been  found  to  be  the  easiest 
way  of  making  the  scrolls,  as  wooden  sticks  are  difficult  to 
attach.  Paste  the  three  parts  together  as  in  Diagram  1.  Roll 
from  the  ends,  and  paste  firmly  when  you  have  rolled  to  the 
narrower  paper.  Diagram  2  shows  what  the  scroll  looks  like 
when  finished.  Tie  with  red  tape  or  cord  and  write  on  the 
outside  the  name  of  the  child  who  made  it.  Put  the  scrolls 
away  ready  for  the  next  lesson.  As  you  work  tell  the  chil- 
dren that  this  is  the  sort  of  book  they  had  in  the  days  when  the 
Bible  stories  happened. 


LOYALTY  TO  GOD 


197 


Diagram  No.  i 


Diagram  No.  2 


A  Talk: 

You  see  I  have  put  the  mite  box  on  the  table.  We  will  re- 
member to  bring  money,  as  we  usually  do,  and  this  time  it  is 
for  something  specially  nice.  Shall  we  buy  a  present  for  our 
Scout,  to  show  him  how  much  we  liked  having  him  come  to 
teach  us?     He  could  be  out  of  doors  doing  things  with  big 


198     A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

boys  like  himself,  but  he  is  such  a  good  American  that  he  has 
said  that  he  would  come  to  us.  Of  course  we  will  keep  it  a 
surprise,  and  we  can  be  thinking  of  something  that  he  would 
like.  He  might  need  a  pencil,  or  a  compass.  We  will  remem- 
ber to  bring  money  as  we  have  been  doing,  for  our  mite  box. 

Service  of  Worship: 

Prelude:  Quiet  Music  (A  First  Book  in  Hymns  and 
Worship). 

Hymn:     All  Things  Bright  and  Beautiful. 

Scripture  Reading:     Psalm  24  (read  without  comment). 

Prayer:  O  Lord,  thou  dost  meet  with  us  here  and  wher- 
ever we  are.  Even  thy  little  children  do  great  things  because 
thou  art  near.  We  want  to  help  thy  kingdom  to  come  on 
earth  as  it  is  in  heaven.    Amen. 

Hymn  :     America  the  Beautiful. 

Good  Night: 

"Good  night,  Good  night! 
Far  flies  the  light, 

But  still  God's  love 
Shall  flame  above 

Making  all  bright, 
Good  night,  Good  night !"  — Victor  Hugo. 

Salutes  to  the  Flags: 

American  Flag 

I  pledge  allegiance  to  my  flag,  and  to  the  republic  for 
which  it  stands,  one  nation  indivisible,  with  liberty  and 
justice  for  all. 
Church  Flag 

I  pledge  allegiance  to  my  flag,  and  to  the  Saviour  for 
whose  kingdom  it  stands,  one  brotherhood  uniting  all 
mankind  in  service  and  love. 


LESSON  XXXIV 

A  BOY  WHO  WAS  LOYAL  TO  HIS  KING 

The  loyal  child  is  faithful.  "There  is  nothing  possible  to 
a  human  soul  greater  than  simple  faithfulness"  (Maltbie  Bab- 
cock).  Being  faithful  to  God  means  being  faithful  to  God's 
children  and  to  God's  world.  The  church  and  the  nation  are 
in  great  need  of  loyal  defenders,  and  these  lessons  may  help 
to  show  the  children  what  they  can  do  and  how  to  do  it.  In 
the  story  for  to-day  David  obeys  Saul's  call  for  help  and  sings 
Saul's  pain  away.  Remind  the  children  that  they  sang  for 
friends  at  Christmas.  It  helped  to  make  Christmas  happy  for 
the  people  who  heard  them.  It  reminded  them  of  Jesus,  come 
to  earth  to  teach  love,  and  that  is  a  happy  thought.  When 
David  sang  about  the  green  pastures  and  still  waters  to  Saul 
it  made  him  remember  happy  things,  and  he  forgot  his  pain. 

Directions  for  Leaders: 

The  Scouts  or  other  leaders  appointed  to  take  charge  of  this 
period  should  be  on  hand  early,  and  when  the  hour  for  begin- 
ning arrives  they  should  be  ready  to  form  the  children  in  line 
for  a  march,  or  to  put  them  through  some  simple  exercises. 
Salute  both  flags  and  teach  them  to  obey  some  of  the  orders 
used  by  the  Scout  leaders  in  drilling  the  Scouts. 

Story:     Tell  again  the  story  of   Samuel   anointing  David. 
(Lesson  XXX.) 

After  Samuel  anointed  David's  head  with  oil  David  went 
back  to  the  pasture,  and  cared  for  his  sheep  faithfully,  al- 
though he  had  a  wonderful  thing  to  think  about.  He  must 
have  made  a  great  many  plans  that  began — "When  I  am  the 

199 


200     A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

king,  I  will — "  He  knew  that  a  good  king  did  his  duty 
faithfully,  and  so  David  practiced  by  doing  his  work  for  the 
sheep  well  and  faithfully. 

While  David  was  planning  and  singing  in  the  pasture  with 
the  sheep,  King  Saul  became  ill  and  unhappy.  The  people  in 
the  palace  did  all  that  they  could  to  make  him  better,  and  still 
King  Saul  did  not  get  well.  His  servants  thought  that  if  the 
king  could  hear  sweet  music  it  would  cheer  him,  and  help  him 
to  forget  his  pain.  So  Saul  said  to  his  servants,  "Get  me  now 
a  man  who  can  make  music  and  bring  him  to  me."  And  one 
of  the  servants  said,  "I  have  seen  such  a  man."  He  was  think- 
ing of  David,  for  he  had  been  to  Bethlehem  and  had  heard 
David  sing,  and  play  upon  the  harp  and  the  pipes  that  he  had 
made. 

Then  Saul  sent  messengers  to  Jesse's  house  asking  David 
to  come  and  play  for  him,  and  David  took  his  harp  and  his 
pipes  and  went  to  Saul's  house.  David's  music  pleased  Saul 
well.  When  Saul  was  ill  David  would  come  and  sing  such 
lovely  songs  that  Saul  forgot  his  pain. 

When  Saul  was  better,  and  the  visit  was  over,  David  went 
back  to  his  sheep,  and  Saul  was  so  troubled  by  his  enemies 
and  by  wars  that  for  a  while  he  forgot  David. 

Activity: 

Bring  out  the  scrolls  made  at  the  last  lesson,  and  write  the 
first  two  verses  of  Psalm  24.  You  may  place  a  copy  before  the 
children  on  the  blackboard  and  help  them  in  any  way  you  like. 

Service: 

Hymn:  O  Come  and  Let  Us  Worship  (A  First  Book  in 
Hymns  and  Worship,  No.  3). 

Scripture  Reading:  Psalm  24.  Repeat  a  second  time, 
asking  the  children  to  say  a  part — perhaps  just  "Who  is  the 


A  BOY  WHO  WAS  LOYAL  TO  HIS  KING    201 

King  of  Glory?"    The  girls  can  ask  the  question  and  the  boys 
answer,  with  help,  of  course. 

Prayer  (see  Lesson  XXXIII). 

Hymn  (selected). 

Good  Night  (see  Lesson  XXXIII). 

For  the  Teacher:  References  concerning  the  history  of  the 
ark:  Joshua  3  and  6.  1  Samuel  4.  4.  11.  2  Samuel  6.  1.  11. 
1  Chronicles  13.  12;  15.  1— 15.    2  Samuel  6.  12-15. 

"The  great  war  has  made  clear  to  us  what  a  force  patriotism  is 
— perhaps  the  most  universally  powerful  force  in  the  world.  We 
who  are  interested  in  the  religious  education  of  children  need  to 
reckon  with  this  force,  to  purge  it  of  narrowness,  of  self-seeking, 
of  unthinking  loyalty,  and  interpret  it  as  devotion  to  the  welfare 
of  all,  which  means  making  the  most  of  oneself,  so  that  one  may 
serve.  We  are  seeing  that  patriotism  without  Christian  ideals 
is  anything  but  ennobling.  Think  of  our  responsibility,  religious 
educators — to  read  into  patriotism  the  highest  laws  of  the  God  of 
nations." — Frances  Weld  Danielson. 


LESSON  XXXV 

A  KING  WHO  WAS  LOYAL  TO  HIS  PEOPLE 

Pictures  of  people  helpfully  active  will  interest  the  chil- 
dren in  connection  with  these  lessons.  Look  through  the  pic- 
tures that  have  been  collected,  and  ask  the  children  to  bring 
those  that  they  find  in  advertisements  and  magazines.  Talk 
of  the  value  of  what  the  people  in  the  pictures  are  doing  and 
keep  all  pictures  that  show  work  being  done  for  others.  In 
reviewing  the  stories  suggested  for  telling  in  connection  with 
the  lesson  story,  show  that  in  killing  the  giant  David  did  a 
brave  deed  for  his  country,  and  that  Abigail  was  glad  to  do  a 
helpful  thing  for  David  in  return  for  his  care  of  the  sheep. 
The  story  of  Goliath  is  not  given  here,  but  the  children  proba- 
bly know  it,  and  it  is  easily  located  in  primary  courses  of  Sun- 
day-school lessons. 

Directions  for  Leaders: 

The  Scout  should  show  the  children  how  to  fall  in  line  in 
the  proper  way,  and  to  understand  and  obey  orders.  Lead 
the  children  in  the  salutes  to  the  flags  and  insist  that  all  the 
people  present — teachers,  assistants,  and  visitors — take  part. 
Explain  the  use  of  the  countersign  or  password,  and  give  the 
children  a  word  to  remember  and  give  as  they  come  into  the 
classroom  for  the  next  lesson.  "Be  ready"  or  "George  Wash- 
ington" would  be  good  for  this  purpose,  or  you  may  think  of 
a  better  password.  Of  course  this  will  mean  that  the  assisting 
Scout  will  have  to  be  on  hand  promptly  to  guard  the  door  and 
exact  the  password  next  time. 
202 


A  KING  WHO  WAS  LOYAL  TO  HIS  PEOPLE  203 

Story:  (To  be  told  after  reviewing  the  story  of  Abigail  (Les- 
son VII)  and  asking  a  child  to  tell  "David  and  the 
Giant.") 

A  great  many  interesting  and  exciting  things  happened  to 
David  before  he  became  king,  and  then  one  day  a  messenger 
came  to  him  to  tell  him  that  Saul  and  Jonathan  had  been  killed 
in  battle.  Another  of  Saul's  sons  was  made  king  and  reigned 
for  seven  years.  David  often  thought  of  the  day  when  Samuel 
anointed  his  head  with  oil,  and  he  went  on  planning  to  do  great 
things  when  he  became  king.  When  the  king  died,  and  David 
was  at  last  the  king,  he  went  to  live  in  the  city  of  Jerusalem, 
and  carpenters  and  builders  made  a  beautiful  palace  for  him  to 
live  in.  The  palace  was  built  on  a  hill.  The  people  hoped  that 
some  day  a  temple  would  be  built  there,  and  so  they  called  it 
"the  hill  of  Jehovah." 

A  high,  strong  stone  wall  had  been  built  around  the  city  of 
Jerusalem,  and  stone  forts  and  watchtowers  were  built  on  top 
of  the  walls.  The  people  of  Jerusalem  thought  that  they  were 
very  safe,  for  the  gates  in  the  stone  wall  were  strong.  The 
gates  were  closed,  and  the  soldiers  on  guard  opened  them  when 
the  people  wished  to  go  out  or  come  in.  The  gates  were  so 
strong  and  heavy  that  they  were  sometimes  called  "the  ever- 
lasting doors."  Soldiers  in  shining  helmets  and  carrying 
bright  spears  stood  on  the  wall  watching  day  and  night  for 
the  armies  of  other  countries,  for  Jerusalem  was  beautiful  and 
strong  and  many  kings  wanted  to  be  king  there. 

King  David's  palace  stood  on  "the  hill  of  Jehovah"  and 
shone  in  the  sunshine,  for  it  was  made  of  white  stone  and 
trimmed  with  gold.  This  was  David's  new  home,  and  David 
came  to  be  a  very  great  man,  for  God  helped  him  in  all  that 
he  did. 

Activity:     Writing  on  scrolls.    Verses  3  and  4,  Psalm  24. 


204    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

Service  of  Worship: 

Prelude:     Quiet  Music   (A  First  Book  in  Hymns  and 
Worship,  No.  3). 

Hymn  :     0  Come  and  Let  Us  Worship. 

Prayer  (see  Lesson  XXXV). 

Scripture  Reading  :     Psalm  24.    Also  Memory  Work  for 
November  (see  Lesson  IX). 

Hymn  :     America  the  Beautiful. 

Good  Night  (see  Lesson  XXXIII). 


LESSON  XXXVI 

A  GREAT  PROCESSION 

Remind  the  children  of  the  pictures  you  have  planned  to 
bring — showing  children  and  grown  people  working — and 
have  a  large  sheet  of  manila  paper  thumb-tacked  to  the  wall 
or  screen  ready  to  be  made  into  a  poster.  Leave  space  at  the 
top  of  the  poster  for  the  title,  and  say  that  you  will  decide  what 
to  name  the  pictures  when  the  poster  is  finished.  The  mite  box 
should  be  on  the  table  during  each  lesson. 

Directions  for  Leaders: 

The  story  for  to-day  is  longer  than  usual,  and  it  is  to  be 
dramatized  at  the  next  lesson.  The  march  should  be  short, 
followed  by  a  few  Scout  orders.  Do  not  forget  to  ask  for  the 
password  as  the  children  come  to  the  door.  As  they  leave  the 
class  to-day  give  them  "Jehovah  of  Hosts"  as  a  password  for 
the  next  lesson. 

Story: 

David  was  a  good  king  and  he  made  his  people  very  happy. 
But  he  saw  them  forgetting  God,  and  feeling  so  safe  in  their 
walled  city  that  they  were  thoughtless  and  unkind.  They  had 
forgotten  about  the  Commandments  and  the  ark,  for  God  had 
brought  the  Children  of  Israel  to  this,  their  new  home,  so 
many,  many  years  ago  that  it  seemed  like  a  fairy  story.  But 
David  saw  that  the  people  needed  to  be  reminded  to  thank  him 
and  to  bless  his  name. 

As  David  wondered  what  he  could  do  to  help  his  people  to 
be  good,  he  remembered  the  story  of  the  tent  church  in  the 
wilderness.  He  had  loved  that  story  when  he  was  a  boy,  and 
205 


206    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

now  as  he  thought  about  it,  he  remembered  the*  ark,  and  that 
God  had  said  to  Moses,  "There  I  will  meet  with  thee." 

David  knew  that  was  just  what  the  people  of  Jerusalem 
needed — to  be  reminded  to  be  good,  brave,  and  true,  as  we  are 
by  the  American  flag  when  we  see  it  waving  above  us.  He 
knew  that  when  they  saw  the  gold  box  they  would  know  that 
God  was  with  them.  So  David  made  a  plan  to  bring  the  ark  to 
Jerusalem.  There  was  no  beautiful  temple  for  it  to  be  kept  in, 
but  David  had  a  tent  of  wonderful  fine  cloth  made,  and  put  up 
on  the  hill  of  Jehovah  near  his  palace,  for  the  ark.  He  re- 
membered that  the  Children  of  Israel  had  called  God  "The 
King  of  glory,"  and  he  said,  "They  need  a  king  more  won- 
derful than  I  am — they  need  a  King  of  glory." 

For  years  and  years  the  ark  had  been  left  in  a  house  way 
down  in  the  country  and  the  people  in  that  house  had  been 
very  happy,  for  God  had  been  with  them. 

One  morning  a  splendid  procession  went  out  through  the 
city  gates,  to  walk  down  into  the  country  and  bring  the  ark 
back  to  Jerusalem.  David  was  clothed  in  a  robe  of  fine  linen 
and  the  priests  were  in  the  robes  they  wore  when  they  preached 
to  the  people.  They  carried  a  fine  soft  blue  cloth  to  cover  the 
ark,  for  they  wanted  to  keep  it  free  from  dust  as  they  walked 
back  to  Jerusalem  over  the  dry  roads  and  the  hot  fields.  A 
company  of  soldiers  went  too,  and  as  they  passed  out  through 
the  gates  the  soldiers  on  the  wall  gave  them  the  password. 

Down  through  the  lovely  country  they  went,  and  they  found 
the  house  where  the  ark  was.  Four  priests  lifted  it  and  the 
others  covered  it  carefully  with  the  blue  cloth.  Then,  up 
through  the  country  they  walked,  and  it  was  springtime.  The 
trees  were  covered  with  new  buds,  and  the  grass  was  soft  and 
new,  and  the  priests  and  soldiers  saw  these  things  and  were 
glad.  They  knew  now  that  God  was  with  them,  for  the  ark 
reminded  them  that  God  had  said,  "There  I  will  meet  with 
thee." 


A  GREAT  PROCESSION  207 

They  were  so  happy  and  excited  that  one  of  the  soldiers 
called  out,  "The  earth  is  Jehovah's  and  the  fullness  thereof !" 
and  somebody  answered,  "The  world,  and  they  that  dwell 
therein!"     Others  shouted, 

"For  he  hath  founded  it  upon  the  seas, 
And  established  it  upon  the  floods !" 

When  the  procession  came  near  Jerusalem  they  could  see 
that  a  great  many  people  had  come  out  of  the  city  to  meet  them. 
The  men  and  women  and  children  came  running  and  shouting 
for  joy.  They  had  brought  their  harps  and  their  cymbals  and 
their  trumpets  and  there  was  music  and  gladness.  Suddenly 
one  of  the  people  called  out :  "Who  shall  ascend  into  the  hill 
of  Jehovah  ?  And  who  shall  stand  in  his  holy  place ?"  And  the 
others  answered,  "He  that  hath  clean  hands,  and  a  pure  heart !" 

The  procession  came  up  to  the  city  gates  and  halted.  The 
gates  were  closed.  The  people  were  impatient.  They  wished 
to  march  up  through  the  streets  of  Jerusalem  and  see  the  ark 
placed  in  the  tent  that  David  had  made  ready  for  it.  The 
soldiers  on  the  wall  did  not  move,  and  the  people  called  out, 

"Lift  up  your  heads,  O  ye  gates; 
And  be  ye  lifted  up,  ye  everlasting  doors,  and  the  King  of 
glory  will  come  in!" 

The  soldiers  wanted  the  password,  so  they  called  down,  "Who 
is  this  King  of  glory?" 

"Jehovah  strong  and  mighty,  Jehovah  mighty  in  battle!" 
cried  the  people.  But  that  was  not  the  word,  so  the  gates  did 
not  open.  Then  the  people  called  again,  "Lift  up  your  heads, 
O  ye  gates;  yea,  lift  them  up,  ye  everlasting  doors:  And  the 
King  of  glory  will  come  in."  Again  the  soldiers  on  the  walls 
asked,  "Who  is  this  King  of  glory?"  The  soldiers  in  the 
procession  tried  to  remember  what  the  soldiers  on  the  wall  had 
said  as  they  marched  away  that  morning,  but  the  day  had  been 


208     A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

so  full  of  interesting  things  that  they  could  not  remember. 
They  looked  about  at  the  crowds  of  people  and  saw  that  there 
were  hosts  and  hosts  of  them.  They  remembered  the  hosts 
and  hosts  of  people  in  the  world  and  that  Jehovah  was  with 
them  all  and  that  they  were  his  people  and  the  sheep  of  his 
pasture.  Then  one  of  them  remembered  and  cried  aloud, 
"Jehovah  of  hosts !"  and  the  others  joined  him  and  said,  "Je- 
hovah of  hosts !  he  is  the  King  of  glory !"  That  was  the  pass- 
word !  That  was  what  the  soldiers  had  been  told  to  say !  The 
gates  began  to  rise.  Slowly  they  were  lifted  up,  and  the  people 
crowded  into  the  city  streets.  They  followed  the  procession 
up  and  up  through  the  streets  of  Jerusalem  until  they  came 
to  the  Hill  of  the  Lord,  and  with  shoutings  and  the  sound  of 
trumpets  they  set  the  ark  in  the  tent  which  David  had  made 
for  it. 

Now  the  people  would  be  reminded  that  God  was  with  them ! 
Now  they  would  not  forget  so  often  to  love  each  other  and  to 
tell  the  truth,  for  God  had  said,  "There  will  I  meet  with  thee." 

Activity: 

If  the  Scout  has  been  kind  enough  to  remain  with  you,  ask 
him  to  lead  a  procession  making  believe  that  the  ark  is  to  be 
brought  to  Jerusalem.  The  children  may  repeat  the  first  part 
of  Psalm  24  as  they  march,  and  the  part  beginning,  "Lift  up 
your  heads,"  when  they  return.  If  you  wish  to  begin  the 
dramatization  to-day,  see  Lesson  XXXVII  for  suggestions. 

If  there  is  time,  bring  out  the  scrolls  and  write  Psalm  24.  5. 

Service  of  Worship : 

Hymn  :     O  Come  and  Let  Us  Worship. 
Scripture  Reading:     Psalm  24,  repeated  by  the  children 
antiphonally. 

Prayer  (see  Lesson  XXXIII). 


A  GREAT  PROCESSION 

Hymn:     America  the  Beautiful. 
Good  Night  (see  Lesson  XXXIII). 


209 


LESSON  XXXVII 
THE  KING  OF  GLORY 

The  story  of  the  ark  brought  to  Jerusalem  lends  itself  in 
a  wonderful  way  to  dramatization..  The  whole  scene  is  dra- 
matic and  the  action  continuous  and  splendid.  No  properties 
of  any  kind  are  needed — the  imagination  of  childhood  will 
find  the  picture  satisfactory  if  the  city  wall  is  made  of  chairs, 
and  the  march  through  corridors  and  anterooms  will  serve  for 
the  march  through  the  spring  fields  to  that  house  in  the 
country. 

There  is  no  better  way  of  impressing  the  episode  than  by 
letting  the  children  go  through  the  experience,  and  they  will 
enjoy  it  and  ask  to  be  allowed  to  live  the  story  in  this  way 
again  and  again. 

Directions  for  Leaders: 

Demand  the  password  as  the  children  enter  the  room,  and 
after  marshaling  your  forces  stand  at  attention  for  the  salutes 
to  both  flags.  Review  what  you  have  taught  in  the  matter  of 
orders,  or  physical  exercises,  and  after  a  few  minutes  march  to 
the  chairs  for  the  story.  Give  a  password  for  the  next  lesson. 
It  might  be  "Abraham  Lincoln,"  or  whatever  you  think  appro- 
priate. 

Story:    Retell  A  Great  Procession  (see  Lesson  XXXVI). 

Activity : 

Dramatizing  the  story.     Arrange  the  chairs  in  a  semicircle 
around  the  reading  desk  or  your  table.     Divide  the  children 
into  three  companies:  The  people  of  Jerusalem  (who  will  re- 
210 


THE  KING  OF  GLORY  211 

main  for  the  present  within  the  semicircle  of  chairs,  the  chairs 
making  the  city  wall)  ;  the  priests  and  soldiers  with  King  David 
(who  will  march  down  into  the  country  and  bring  back  the 
ark)  ;  and  the  soldiers  who  guard  the  wall.  The  soldiers  may 
take  their  stand  on  the  wall  (on  the  chairs  or  back  of  them  in 
a  row)  and  the  procession  may  start  out  of  the  gates  (two 
chairs  moved  aside  and  replaced  when  the  procession  has 
passed  out).  The  priests  and  soldiers  march  about  the  room 
or  out  into  the  halls  and  other  rooms,  repeating  Psalm  24.  1,2 
as  they  go.  They  return,  the  leaders  walking  as  though  they 
were  carrying  a  precious  burden.  As  they  draw  near  the  city 
the  gates  open  and  the  waiting  people  crowd  out  to  meet  them. 
One  of  the  leaders  repeats  verse  3  and  is  answered  by  the 
crowd  as  they  repeat  verses  4-6. 

The  gates  were  closed  after  the  people  crowded  out — and 
now  the  procession  and  the  people  are  at  the  gates  wanting  to 
march  in,  and  up  to  the  hill  of  Jehovah  with  the  ark.  They 
ask  the  soldiers  to  open  the  gates  (verse  7).  The  soldiers  on 
the  wall  demand  the  password  in  their  question  (verse  8,  first 
phrase).  The  people  hazard  (having  forgotten  for  the  mo- 
ment) repeating  the  remainder  of  the  verse.  They  have  not 
the  right  word.  The  gates  do  not  move.  They  call  again  to 
the  soldiers  on  the  wall  (verse  9)  and  again  the  question  comes 
(verse  10,  first  phrase).  The  last  two  lines  of  the  psalm  are 
said  and  the  gates  open.  The  people  crowd  in  and  place  an 
imaginary  ark  on  the  desk  or  table.  As  the  children  stand  there 
remind  them  that  David  sang  praises  when  the  ark  was  at  last 
in  its  place  and  the  people  knew  that  God  was  there.  Sing  a 
song  of  praise — or  thanks — that  is  familiar  to  the  children. 

If  time  remains,  bring  out  the  scrolls  and  write  a  line  of 
Psalm  24. 

Service  of  Worship: 

Hymn  :     O  Come  and  Let  Us  Worship. 


212     A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

Scripture  Reading:     Psalm  24;  also  the  work  done  in 
November;  Psalm  147.  J,  8. 
Prayer  (see  Lesson  XXXIII). 
Hymn:     America  the  Beautiful. 
Good  Night  (see  Lesson  XXXIII). 


LESSON  XXXVIII 

LOYAL  CITIZENS 

A  child's  patriotism  is  a  very  practical  thing.  It  is  a  paper 
thrown  in  a  trash  receptacle,  a  fruit  skin  (dropped  by  someone 
else)  pushed  off  the  walk,  a  stray  dog  kindly  treated,  obedience 
and  courtesy,  doing  all  to  the  glory  of  God.  This  lesson  and 
the  next  will  help  to  bring  the  ideal  of  Christian  patriotism  to 
the  child  in  a  childlike  way,  and  give  opportunity  for  remem- 
bering our  great  heroes,  Washington  and  Lincoln.  It  is  not 
necessary  to  give  the  stories  of  these  great  Americans  here — 
the  children  will  come  from  school  with  many  interesting 
things  to  tell  about  them.  Your  part  will  be  to  show  how 
children  can  serve  God  and  the  nation  in  fine  ways. 

Directions  for  Leaders: 

Call  for  the  password  as  the  children  come  to  the  door. 
Give  the  orders  for  falling  in  line  for  a  march  and  teach  the 
children  to  march  two  by  two,  separating  and  coming  together 
again.  Or  review  the  work  you  have  done,  insisting  on  exact 
and  prompt  obedience.  Bring  them  to  a  circle  and  give  the 
order  to  sit  on  the  floor.  Show  them  some  of  the  things  that 
Scouts  do,  and  tell  how  Scouts  serve  the  nation. 

Story: 

Once,  long  ago,  before  there  were  stamps  and  mail  boxes, 
the  king  of  a  great  walled  city  wanted  to  send  a  message  to 
the  king  of  another  city  miles  and  miles  away.  The  king  sent 
for  a  runner  and  gave  him  the  message.  Runners  were  men 
who  could  run  far  without  getting  tired,  and  they  could  learn 
213 


214     A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

long  messages,  and  remember  them  until  they  reached  the  per- 
son to  whom  the  message  was  sent.  When  the  runner  reached 
the  city  over  which  the  king  who  was  to  receive  the  message 
reigned,  he  found  himself  in  a  very  beautiful  place.  He  had 
heard  that  it  was  a  great  and  wonderful  city,  and  he  had  heard 
people  say,  "What  a  high  strong  wall  the  king  must  have  built 
around  such  a  beautiful  place!  The  kings  of  other  countries 
will  send  their  armies  to  take  it  away  from  him,  and  he  will 
need  strong  forts."  And  everybody  said,  "What  high  strong 
walls  must  be  about  such  a  city  as  that !"  The  runner  was  sur- 
prised when  he  found  that  the  city  had  no  wall  of  stone  or 
brick.  He  walked  in  through  the  streets  and  saw  the  happy 
children  playing  in  the  sunshine.  He  saw  plants  and  flowers 
standing,  fresh  and  tall,  for  no  one  had  trampled  on  them  or 
picked  their  blossoms.  He  saw  fountains  sending  sprays  of  mist 
up  toward  the  sky,  and  the  children  and  the  birds  were  drink- 
ing, for  the  water  was  pure  and  clean.  He  saw  that  the  streets 
were  clean,  safe  places  where  children  could  play,  and  the  mes- 
senger saw  the  children  playing  fair  and  caring  very  faithfully 
for  the  littlest  ones.  All  this  and  more  that  was  comfortable 
and  good  was  happening  in  the  city  streets,  and  the  people 
spoke  to  him  and  made  him  welcome.  A  child  took  his  hand 
and  showed  him  the  way  to  the  king's  palace.  But  the  runner 
could  not  forget  that  there  was  no  wall  about  the  city,  and 
when  he  had  kneeled  before  the  king  and  given  him  the  mes- 
sage that  he  had  brought,  he  said :  "O  King,  your  city  is  very 
beautiful,  but  are  you  not  afraid  of  the  enemies  who  would  like 
to  take  it  from  you  ?  I  have  looked  and  looked  and  I  have  not 
seen  a  fort,  nor  have  you  a  city  wall.  A  strong  wall  of  good 
bricks  would  protect  your  city  and  make  your  people  safe." 

"But,"  said  the  king,  "you  did  not  look  in  the  right  place 
for  the  city  wall.  I  will  show  you  the  wall  that  makes  our  city 
safe."  And  he  went  to  a  window  and  pointed  to  the  streets. 
"Do  you  see  those  people  cleaning  the  streets?"  he  asked,  "and 


LOYAL  CITIZENS  215 

the  children  playing  fair  and  without  quarreling?  Do  you 
see  these  busy,  happy  people  and  not  one  of  them  breaking  a 
rule?    The  people  make  the  city  wall,  and  every  one  is  a  brick !" 

Then  the  runner  knew  that  the  king  was  right.  A  city  in 
which  everyone  obeys  the  laws  and  is  helpful  is  a  safe  place 
in  which  to  live.  The  runner  ran  back  to  his  own  city  with  a 
message  for  his  king  from  the  king  of  the  beautiful  city.  He 
went  in  through  a  strong  iron  gate  in  a  high  brick  wall.  He 
saw  tall  soldiers  in  armor  watching  for  the  enemy,  for  the 
people  in  that  city  were  not  bricks.  The  children  were  quar- 
reling, and  because  they  all  wanted  to  win  nobody  played  fair. 
The  babies  were  getting  lost  and  hurt  because  the  big  children 
did  not  take  care  of  them.  The  men  and  women  were  afraid 
because  they  could  not  trust  each  other  or  the  children.  They 
could  not  believe  each  other,  so,  of  course,  they  could  not 
think  that  the  people  from  other  countries  would  keep  their 
promises.  When  the  runner  told  of  the  city  in  which  everyone 
was  a  brick,  they  shook  their  heads  and  sharpened  their  spears. 
They  built  the  wall  higher,  for  they  said,  "Such  strong,  brave 
people  will  surely  make  war  upon  us." 

But  the  city  that  was  so  beautiful  because  everybody  who 
lived  there  was  a  brick,  grew  stronger  and  more  interesting,  for 
the  children  were  growing  up.  Visitors  from  other  countries 
came  and  brought  wonderful  gifts,  but  whatever  they  brought 
they  always  carried  a  gift  as  useful  and  good  and  beautiful 
away  with  them.  When  these  visitors  reached  their  homes 
and  told  about  the  good  times  they  had  had,  the  people  said, 
"Why,  the  people  in  that  city  are  bricks!" 

(Adapted  from  a  Spartan  legend.) 

Activity : 

Writing  on  scrolls.  Making  badges.  These  may  be  made  of 
red  paper,  oblong,  to  look  like  bricks,  about  1x2  inches.  Let 
the  children  write  on  them  "You  are  a  brick."     Punch  holes 


216     A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

for  red  cord  or  ribbon  and  tie  the  badges  on  the  children  before 
they  go  home. 

Service : 

Hymn  :     O  Come  and  Let  Us  Worship. 

Bible  :     Psalm  24;  Psalm  147.  7,  8. 

Prayer  (see  Lesson  XXXIII). 

Hymn:     America  the  Beautiful. 

Poem  :     My  Land  Is  God's  Land. 

"My  land  is  God's  land,  mountains,  rivers  wide; 
God  built  it,  blest  it,  gave  it,  to  be  the  whole  earth's  pride, 
With  lofty  silent  places  and  prairies  for  the  free — 
My  land  is  God's  land  that  goes  from  sea  to  sea. 

"My  flag  is  God's  flag,  and  God  will  see  it  through, 
It  shines  on  sea  and  mountain,  the  Red,  White  and  Blue ; 
It  has  no  need  of  terror;  it  lives  close  to  the  sky — 
My  flag  is  God's  flag,  and  he  will  keep  it  high !" 

(Annette  Wynne.  From  For  Days  and  Days. 
Copyright,  1919,  by  Frederick  A.  Stokes  Com- 
pany.    Reprinted  by  permission.) 

Song  :     The  Red,  White,  and  Blue. 

Good  Night  (see  Lesson  XXXIII). 


LESSON  XXXIX 

THE  LOYAL  CHILD 

The  children  are  already  citizens,  and  we  have  been  develop- 
ing an  ideal  of  Christian  citizenship  for  them.  The  story  for 
to-day  shows  how  a  loyal  child  served  under  present-day  con- 
ditions. This  may  help  the  children  who  listen  to  see  that  they 
too-  can  be  watchful  and  brave.  Explain  that  a  countersign 
is  a  password.  Talk  of  Washington  and  Lincoln  as  brave  and 
loyal  Americans,  having  learned  to  be  loyal  when  they  were 
seven  years  old. 

Directions  for  Leaders: 

A  long  march  will  be  enjoyed  to-day,  to  the  music  of 
"Stand  Up,  Stand  Up  for  Jesus"  and  'The  Battle  Hymn  of 
the  Republic,"  played  on  the  piano  or  the  victrola.  Salute  both 
flags  and  drill  your  recruits  in  prompt  obedience  to  your  orders. 
March  to  the  circle  of  chairs  for  the  story. 

Story:  Pluck. 

Not  very  far  from  here  there  lives  a  boy  named  George. 
On  last  Washington's  Birthday,  right  after  breakfast,  George 
said,  "Mother,  I  want  to  go  down  to  Main  Street  and  watch 
for  the  parade." 

"So  early?"  said  his  mother.  "You  will  have  a  long  wait, 
I  am  afraid." 

"But  I  want  a  specially  good  place  this  year,  mother,  be- 
cause Uncle  George  is  going  to  march." 

"Very  well,"  said  George's  mother,  and  she  went  to  the 
door  with  him.  George  ran  out,  and  picked  up  the  tongue  of 
his  express  wagon. 

217 


218    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

"Must  you  take  your  express  wagon?"  his  mother  asked. 

"Yes,  mother,"  said  George,  solemnly,  "I  think  I  must." 
They  both  laughed,  and  George  said,  "111  go  to  my  room  and 
get  my  gun.    Then  I  will  have  something  to  put  in  my  wagon." 

Soon  the  gun  was  lying  in  the  wagon  and  George  was  walk- 
ing down  the  street.  When  he  came  to  his  Uncle  George's 
house,  he  looked  down  the  drive  and  into  the  little  garage,  and 
there  was  Uncle  George,  looking  over  a  kit  of  tools.  Uncle 
George  had  come  home  from  France  with  only  one  arm. 
George  forgot  his  hurry  and  ran  down  the  drive. 

"Say,  Uncle  George,"  he  called,  "I  thought  you  were  going 
to  march !" 

"I  am,"  said  Uncle  George;  "but  it's  too  early  to  go  yet. 
Come  in  here  and  show  me  your  wagon." 

"It's  new,"  said  George. 

"They  usually  have  a  name  painted  on  the  side,  don't  they?" 
And  Uncle  George  looked  the  new  wagon  over  carefully. 

"Yes,"  said  George.     "I  wish  mine  had  a  name." 

Uncle  George  took  a  can  of  black  paint  and  a  small  brush 
from  the  shelf.     "I'll  put  any  name  you  want  there." 

Little  George  gasped.  "Can  you  make  letters  with  your 
wrong  hand,  Uncle  George?  You  must  be  awful  brave." 
Little  George  looked  at  the  empty  khaki  sleeve.  "Were  you 
brave  about  your  arm?" 

"Some,"  said  Uncle  George;  "but  I  wouldn't  have  been  if  I 
hadn't  practiced.  You  see,  I  have  always  wanted  to  be  like 
George  Washington,  so  when  I  was  about  your  age  I  began 
to  think  about  it,  and  I  knew  that  the  way  to  begin  was  to  be 
plucky.  Every  time  you  are  plucky  it  helps  you  to  be  more 
plucky  next  time,  and  then,  by  and  by,  you  are  brave.     See?" 

"I  don't  like  to  think  about  next  time,"  said  George,  looking 
fearfully  about. 

Uncle  George  laughed. 

"Suppose  you  name  your  wagon  'Pluck,'  "  he  suggested. 


THE  LOYAL  CHILD  219 

"It's  a  fine  name  and  will  remind  you  to  be  plucky  every  time 
you  read  it." 

"I'd  rather  be  patriotic;  but  'Patriot'  is  too  many  letters  to 
print,"  said  George. 

"Well,  it's  your  wagon,  of  course;  but  the  boy  with  plenty  of 
pluck  is  patriotic,  and  he  can't  be  patriotic  without  pluck.  It 
takes  pluck  to  take  care  of  our  schools  and  our  churches  and 
our  homes,  sometimes.  Of  course,  it  depends  on  what  is  the 
matter  how  much  pluck  it  takes." 

"But  I'd  rather  take  care  of  my  country,"  said  George. 

"Your  church  and  your  school  are  parts  of  your  country, 
you  know,"  said  Uncle  George. 

"Well,  put  'Pluck'  there,"  said  George. 

Uncle  George  carefully  painted,  and  when  the  letters  were 
finished,  George  read  "Pluck"  on  both  sides  of  his  wagon. 

"Now,"  said  Uncle  George,  "what  does  Pluck  mean?" 

"It  means,"  said  George — "it  means,  it  means — " 

Uncle  George  looked  right  into  little  George's  eyes  and  said, 
"Pluck  means  doing  anything  that  needs  to  be  done,  no  matter 
how  hard  it  is.  You'd  better  go  now  and  get  a  good  place  on 
the  corner.    Don't  get  the  wet  paint  on  your  clothes." 

Uncle  George  got  into  his  car  and  disappeared  to  join  the 
procession.  Little  George  picked  up  the  tongue  of  his  wagon 
and  went  down  the  street. 

"It  took  pluck  to  go  to  war  and  get  hungry  and  wet  and 
want  to  come  home,  and  to  have  your  arm  cut  off,"  thought 
George. 

On  the  corner  stood  George's  church,  built  of  red  brick  and 
with  colored  windows  that  looked  prettier  when  you  were  in- 
side. Just  as  he  was  passing  the  Sunday-school  door,  the 
sidewalk  began  to  shiver.  George  thought  he  was  going  to 
fall.  There  was  a  rumbling,  long  noise.  A  flower-pot  fell 
from  a  high  window-sill  and  broke  on  the  sidewalk.  Windows 
broke  and  glass  fell.     Somebody  screamed,  and  George  saw 


220    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

bricks  fall  out  of  the  side  of  his  church  and  a  cloud  of  dust 
rise.     Then  it  was  still. 

George  looked  to  see  if  his  gun  and  his  wagon  were  all  right. 
"Pluck,"  said  the  shiny  wet  letters.  George  straightened  his 
shoulders  and  looked  about.  He  could  see  'way  into  the  church, 
through  the  hole,  and  the  bricks  lay  in  a  heap  on  the  grass. 
Anybody  could  go  in  through  that  hole,  thought  George,  and 
he  took  his  gun  from  his  wagon  and  shouldered  it.  He  paced 
up  and  down,  guarding  the  church  as  he  had  heard  Uncle 
George  tell  about  guarding  shelled  buildings  in  France. 

George  could  hear  drums.  Up  and  down,  up  and  down  he 
went.  A  little  dog  came  down  the  street  and  ran  up  to  the  pile 
of  bricks. 

"Halt!"  shouted  George.  "Who  goes  there?  Give  the 
countersign!" 

But  the  little  dog  just  ran  on.  He  didn't  seem  to  care  much 
about  the  hole  in  the  church,  after  all. 

Just  then  a  man  crossed  the  grass  to  look  into  the  hole.  He 
was  dirty  and  his  hat  was  torn. 

"Halt!"  ordered  George.    "Give  the  countersign!" 

The  man  shrugged  his  shoulders.  "Any  heat  in  the  build- 
ing?" he  asked,  with  a  shiver.    "Big  explosion !" 

"Give  the  countersign,"  said  George,  sternly.  The  man 
went  on,  down  the  street. 

Another  man  rounded  the  corner  and  ran  right  up  to  the 
pile  of  dusty  bricks.  He  was  George's  minister,  but  George 
said,  "Halt!    Who  goes  there?    Give  the  countersign!" 

The  minister  looked  at  George  and  then  at  the  express 
wagon. 

"Pluck,"  he  said,  and  he  saluted. 

They  could  hear  the  band  playing  down  the  street. 

"How  did  you  know?"  said  George,  "because,  you  see,  I 
wasn't  really  sure  myself." 

"It's  a  good  word  for  a  countersign,  and  you  are  a  very 


THE  LOYAL  CHILD  221 

plucky  boy,  George.  I'll  take  charge  here  now  and  you  run 
and  see  the  rest  of  the  parade." 

That  night,  while  George  was  sitting  on  the  step  and  Uncle 
George  was  explaining  to  him  all  about  explosions,  the  min- 
ister came  and  sat  there  with  them. 

"George  guarded  the  church  to-day  until  I  came,"  said  the 
minister.  "Fortunately,  I  could  give  the  countersign,  so  he 
left  me  in  charge.  That  was  a  very  patriotic  thing  to  do, 
George." 

"Yes,  but  it's  very  hard  when  you  hear  the  drums,"  said 
George. 

"What  was  the  countersign?"  asked  Uncle  George. 

"Pluck,"  said  little  George. 

Activity: 

Write  a  verse  of  Psalm  XXIV  on  the  scrolls.  Place  the 
last  pictures  on  the  posters  and  discuss  a  title  for  it.  Suggest 
"Bricks"  as  being  a  good  name  for  a  poster  made  of  pictures 
of  children  and  men  and  women  doing  helpful  things.  Letter 
the  word  "BRICKS"  across  the  top  of  the  poster  in  red. 

Tell  the  class  that  each  member  may  bring  a  friend  to  the 
next  lesson  and  that  you  are  going  to  play  again  the  twenty- 
fourth  psalm. 

Service  of  Worship: 

Hymn:     0  Come  and  Let  Us  Worship. 

Poem  :  "My  Land  Is  God's  Land"  (see  Lesson  XXXVIII). 

Prayer  :     The  Lord's  Prayer. 

Scripture  Reading:  Psalm  24  and  verses  7  and  8  from 
Psalm  146. 

Hymn:     America. 

Good  Night  (see  Lesson  XXXIII). 


LESSON  XL 

REVIEW 

If  this  is  the  last  time  that  the  Scout  is  coming  to  lead,  the 
gift  voted  upon  some  time  ago  should  be  presented.  A  pocket 
compass,  a  notebook,  a  pencil,  or  a  knife  would  be  appro- 
priate, and  the  children  should  be  reminded  to  thank  him  for 
coming  to  help. 

Directions  for  Leaders: 

Review  all  that  you  have  done  with  the  children,  and  after 
saluting  the  flags  bring  them  to  order  for  the  stories.  Visitors 
should  join  in  the  salutes. 

Stories: 

A  King  Helping  His  People  (see  Lesson  XXXV). 
A  Great  Procession  (see  Lesson  XXXVI). 

Activity: 

The  .King  of  Glory — A  Dramatization  (see  Lesson 
XXXVII). 

Service  of  Worship:     (As  you  stand  in  the  place  you  have 
chosen  to  call  "The  hill  of  Jehovah"). 

Hymn:     O  Come  and  Let  Us  Worship. 

Scripture  Reading:     Psalm  24.   (Read  from  the  scrolls.) 

Poem:  "My  Land  Is  God's  Land"  (see  Lesson 
XXXVIII). 


REVIEW  223 

Hymn  :     Good  Night. 

"Good  night,  Good  night ! 
Far  flies  the  light, 

But  still  God's  love 

Shall  flame  above, 
Making  all  bright, 
Good  night,  Good  night!" 

Note:     The  scrolls  may  be  taken  home. 

Additional  Material:  1.  "The  Knights  of  the  Silver 
Shield,"  in  Why  the  Chimes  Rang,  by  Raymond  MacDonald 
Alden.  2.  "Little  Hero  of  Harlem,"  in  many  story  collections. 
3.  "The  Soldier  Boy,"  in  Story-Telling  Time,  by  Frances 
Weld  Danielson.  4.  "Lift  Up  Your  Heads,"  an  anthem  in 
the  Junior  Choir  Series.  (Not  difficult  and  the  leaflet  con- 
tains much  valuable  material.) 

Note  :  Read  the  next  lesson  and  gather  twigs  suitable  for  use 
in  making  popcorn  blossoms,  to  take  with  you — one  for  each 
child. 


VI.    LEARNING  TO  OBEY 

XLI.  In  the  Garden  of  Eden. 

XLII.  Following  the  Cloud. 

XLIII.  The  Children  of  Israel  Obey  and  Disobey. 

XLIV.  The  Commandments. 

XLV.  Honor  Thy  Father  and  Thy  Mother. 

XLVI.  The  Whole  Law. 

XLVII.  An  Obedient  Child. 

XLVIII.  Review.    An  Indoor  Picnic. 

To  know  the  divinity  of  Jesus'  teachings,  we  must  do  his  will 
with  definite  intention.  Moral  disobedience  is  mental  darkness, 
but  to  submit  our  wills  in  loyalty  to  his  law  is  to  open  our  minds 
to  the  light  of  his  truth. — Maltbie  Babcock. 

The  Memory  Work  : 

I  will  hear  what  God  Jehovah  will  speak. — Psalm  #5.  8. 
All  that  Jehovah  hath  spoken  will  we  do,  and  be  obedient. — 
Exodus  24.  J. 

Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart,  and  with 
all  thy  soul,  and  with  all  thy  mind.  This  is  the  great  and  first 
commandment.  And  a  second  like  unto  it  is  this,  Thou  shalt 
love  thy  neighbor  as  thy  self. — Matthezv  22.  38. 

Even  the  wind  and  the  sea  obey  him. — Mark  4.  41. 


LESSON  XLI 
IN  THE  GARDEN  OF  EDEN 

The  necessity  and  the  beauty  of  obedience  can  be  made  clear 
to  the  children  through  stories  of  unmistakable  meaning  and 
through  the  cheerful  mediums  of  work  and  play. 

If  your  children  already  know  that  your  interests  and  de- 
sires are  the  same  as  theirs,  and  that  you  are  one  in  sympathy 
and  understanding,  your  task  will  be  simple.  Expect  confi- 
dently that  during  these  lessons  you  will  be  obeyed,  supplying 
opportunities  for  practice,  and  explain  why  you  ask  certain 
things  of  them.  At  seven  they  are  beginning  to  reason,  and 
all  obedience  is  not  blind. 

The  Garden  of  Eden,  a  happy,  charming  place  destroyed 
by  disobedience,  provides  a  negative  lesson  which  you  will  need 
for  the  sake  of  contrast. 

Bring  out  the  bean-bags  and  play  the  games  suggested  in 
Lesson  XXV,  adhering  strictly  to  the  rules  of  the  game. 
"Every  man  that  striveth  in  the  games  exercises  self-control 
in  all  things." 

Story: 

When  the  world  was  new  the  Lord  God  planted  a  garden. 
It  was  called  the  Garden  of  Eden.  It  was  a  sweet,  fresh,  lovely 
place,  for  God  made  flowers,  and  shady  trees,  and  vines  to 
grow  there.  There  were  trees  that  bore  fruit,  and  the  grass 
was  soft  and  green.  There  was  a  river  that  flowed  through 
the  garden  to  water  the  roots  of  the  trees  and  to  keep  the  grass 
and  flowers  fresh.  And  God  made  animals  to  live  in  the  gar- 
227 


228  .A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

den.  There  were  big  animals  and  little  animals  and  some 
were  afraid  and  lived  in  the  rocks  and  caves,  but  some  of  them 
were  glad  to  play  on  the  grass  and  climb  among  the  trees. 
There  were  birds  too  in  the  garden,  red  and  blue  and  yellow. 
The  birds  lived  in  the  trees  and  sang  most  wonderful  songs. 
All  of  the  animals  and  birds  found  what  they  wanted  to  eat 
and  they  drank  from  the  river  of  clear  water  when  they  were 
thirsty.  Besides  the  birds  and  animals  there  were  all  manner 
of  creeping  things,  and  lovely  butterflies  and  other  flying  in- 
sects. 

The  Lord  God  walked  in  the  garden,  and  looked  at  all  things 
that  he  had  made  and  was  pleased  with  them.  God  saw  that 
the  garden  was  a  place  where  children  and  their  mothers  and 
fathers  would  be  very  happy.  He  made  a  man  and  a  woman 
and  put  them  to  live  there  and  told  them  to  take  care  of  the 
pretty  place.  The  name  of  the  man  was  Adam  and  the  woman's 
name  was  Eve,  and  she  was  Adam's  wife.  God  spoke  to  Adam 
and  said,  "Of  every  tree  of  the  garden  thou  mayest  freely  eat : 
but  of  the  tree  of  learning,  thou  shalt  not  eat  of  it."  And 
Adam  looked  at  the  fruit  that  hung  on  the  trees,  red  and  ripe, 
and  he  picked  it  and  ate  it  and  was  happy,  for  God  had  made 
it  for  him  to  eat.  The  birds  pecked  at  the  fruit,  and  the  but- 
terflies and  all  flying  things  found  the  honey  that  God  had 
put  into  the  flowers  for  them. 

Adam  and  Eve  often  looked  at  the  tree  of  learning  and  won- 
dered about  it.  They  wondered  how  the  fruit  tasted.  They 
knew  that  God  had  said,  "Of  the  tree  of  learning  thou  shalt 
not  eat,"  and  they  wondered  why.  Eve  often  looked  at  the 
beautiful  apples  that  hung  so  red  and  ripe,  and  they  were  a 
delight  to  the  eyes.  One  day  she  broke  the  stem  of  an  apple 
that  hung  low,  and  as  she  looked  at  it  she  said:  "This  apple 
is  from  the  tree  called  the  tree  of  learning.  Perhaps  if  we 
eat  it  it  will  teach  us  many  things,  and  Adam  needs  to  be  wise." 
Then  Eve  disobeyed  the  Lord  God.     She  ate  the  apple,  and 


IN  THE  GARDEN  OF  EDEN  229 

gave  one  from  the  same  tree,  the  tree  of  learning,  to  Adam, 
and  he  ate  also. 

They  heard  God's  voice  that  night  when  the  sun  went  down, 
for  God  walked  in  that  garden  in  the  evening.  And  Adam  and 
Eve  hid  themselves  among  the  trees.  God  called  unto  Adam, 
"Where  art  thou?"  Then  Adam  answered  and  said,  "I  heard 
thy  voice  in  the  garden,  but  I  was  afraid,  and  hid."  "Hast  thou 
eaten  of  the  fruit  of  the  tree  of  learning?"  God  asked,  and 
Adam  began  to  make  excuses.  "Eve  gave  me  the  fruit  and 
I  did  eat,"  he  said. 

God  punished  Adam  and  Eve  for  their  disobedience  by  send- 
ing them  out  of  the  Garden  of  Eden.  The  world  outside  of 
the  garden  was  a  sad  and  lonely  place.  Thorns  and  thistles 
grew  there.  The  trees  did  not  bear  fruit  ready  to  be  eaten, 
and  Adam  and  Eve  had  to  clear  away  the  stones  and  plow, 
and  plant  seeds,  and  pull  up  the  weeds.  They  worked  until 
their  faces  were  wet  with  sweat,  and  they  were  sad  and  tired 
and  sometimes  they  were  ill  and  in  pain. 

But  God  did  not  punish  Adam  and  Eve  forever.  When  they 
had  worked  hard  and  had  learned  to  obey,  God  took  them  to 
heaven  to  live  with  him.  Heaven  is  a  place  more  beautiful 
than  the  Garden  of  Eden;  God's  children  will  live  there  with 
him  forever  and  ever. 

Activity : 

Making  popcorn  blossoms.  If  your  class  is  small  and  you 
are  privileged  to  use  a  kitchen,  pop  the  corn.  If  you  cannot 
give  the  children  this  pleasure,  bring  the  corn  already  popped 
and  give  each  child  a  handful  of  the  fluffy  white  kernels.  Ask 
the  children  to  select  the  largest  and  whitest  and  lay  them  in 
a  row  on  the  table  before  them  ready  for  use.  Give  each  a 
twig  that  you  have  brought,  following  the  instructions  that 
completed  the  text  of  the  last  lesson. 

Ask  the  children  to  hold  the  twigs  in  the  left  hand  while  you 


230     A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

go  around  the  table  dropping  a  little  glue  (not  paste  or  muci- 
lage) on  the  twig  in  a  place  where  a  blossom  might  naturally 
appear.  A  kernel  of  popped  corn  should  be  held  in  place  there 
for  a  moment.  When  each  twig  has  four  or  five  blossoms,  sing 
a  flower  song  or  anything  the  children  choose,  still  holding  the 
twigs  and  giving  the  glue  a  chance  to  dry.  Then  stand  the 
twigs  in  the  openings  on  the  radiators  and  registers,  and  when 
the  children  are  ready  to  go  home  the  glue  will  be  dry  enough 
to  make  the  journey.  Little  leaves  may  be  cut  from  green 
paper  and  glued  here  and  there  on  the  twigs,  but  the  blossoms 
are  complete  without  them.  The  popcorn  not  used  may  be 
eaten,  and  a  twig  in  full  bloom  may  be  sent  to  an  absent 
child. 

Service  of  Worship: 

Hymn  :  When  the  Winter  Winds  Do  Blow  (A  First  Book 
in  Hymns  and  Worship,  No.  50). 

Scripture  Reading:     The  Memory  Work: 
"I  will  hear  what  God  Jehovah  will  speak." 
"All  that  Jehovah  hath  spoken  will  we  do,  and  be  obedient." 
"Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart,  and 
with  all  thy  soul,  and  with  all  thy  mind.    This  is  the  great  and 
first  commandment.     And  a  second  like  unto  it  is  this,  Thou 
shalt  love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself." 
"Even  the  wind  and  the  sea  obey  him." 

Note:  The  children  should  be  helped  to  make  their  own 
prayers.  To-day  they  may  form  a  sentence  prayer  about  obedi- 
ence. Write  what  is  decided  upon  and  repeat  it  as  a  prayer,  fol- 
lowing it  with  the  Lord's  Prayer.  Tell  the  children  that  the  prayer 
they  have  written  will  be  said  again  next  week  and  that  they  may 
add  a  line  at  that  time. 

Hymn:     The  Playmate  of  Nazareth. 


IN  THE  GARDEN  OF  EDEN  231 

Benediction  : 
"Gentle  Child  of  Nazareth, 

Let  thy  life  so  meek  and  'tender, 

Make  us  glad  obedience  render 

To  our  father  and  our  mother, 

And  be  kind  to  one  another, 

Gentle  Child  of  Nazareth.     Amen." 


LESSON  XLII 
THE  CHILDREN  OF  ISRAEL  LEARNING  TO  OBEY 

The  Children  of  Israel,  freed  slaves  as  they  were,  had  to 
learn  the  meaning  of  real  freedom,  which  is  willing  obedience 
to  law.  Firmness  on  the  part  of  a  leader  and  prompt  obedience 
from  the  group  are  necessary,  and  this  is  proved  again  and 
again  in  the  account  of  the  sad  wanderings  of  the  children  in 
the  wilderness,  and  also  by  the  happenings  of  to-day.  God  is 
the  author  of  all  laws  that  govern  the  free,  and  that  is  what 
this  lesson  seeks  to  show. 

In  telling  of  the  fire  drills  in  the  public  schools  Luther 
Gulick  says :  "There  have  been  several  fires  in  New  York  city 
schools,  but  in  not  one  has  there  been  loss  of  life.  .  .  .  Nothing 
but  plain,  straight  obedience  can  meet  situations  such  as  these 
— obedience  to  authority,  immediate,  prompt,  all-inclusive." 

Lead  the  children  in  a  march,  carrying  the  flag.  Tell  the 
children  that  the  flag  will  give  them  silent  orders  and  caution 
them  to  watch  it  carefully.  When  the  flag  stands  still,  the 
children  must.    When  it  moves,  all  move. 

Conduct  a  fire  drill  (see  Lesson  VI). 

Story:     Review  the  story  of  the  Children  of  Israel  leaving 

Egypt  (see  Lesson  IX). 

The  Children  of  Israel  were  free.     They  were  out  of  the 

land  of  Egypt,  and  the  journey  to  the  new  home  was  begun. 

As  the  great  procession  journeyed  God  went  before  the  people 

in  a  soft,  misty,  white  cloud.    You  have  seen  soft,  white  clouds 

move  across  the  sky.     This  cloud  was  shaped  like  a  pillar, 

reaching  up  toward  the  sky,  as  our  flag  points  upward  when 

we  march.    Whenever  the  Children  of  Israel  looked  up  they 

232 


CHILDREN  OF  ISRAEL  LEARNING  TO  OBEY    233 

could  see  the  cloud,  even  in  the  night,  for  when  the  sun  set 
and  it  grew  dark  the  cloud  glowed  and  was  bright  like  fire. 
The  bright  cloud  gave  light  at  night,  so  that  when  it  moved 
and  they  went  on  they  could  see  how  to  go.  And  God  was  in 
the  cloud,  and  he  did  not  take  it  away  from  the  people  day  or 
night. 

When  the  cloud  moved,  the  Children  of  Israel  obeyed  and 
moved  too.  When  the  cloud  was  still,  they  rested.  They  put 
up  their  tents  and  camped,  sometimes  for  days  and  days,  some- 
times for  weeks  and  weeks,  and  sometimes  only  for  a  few 
hours.  When  the  cloud  moved,  the  tents  were  taken  down  and 
folded  and  the  children  were  made  ready  for  a  journey. 

The  fathers  went  to  the  green  places  where  the  sheep  and 
goats  were  pastured  and  led  them  to  the  place  where  the  pro- 
cession was  forming.  There  must  have  been  a  great  deal  of 
noise  and  confusion,  for  everybody  talked  and  the  children 
were  excited.  The  fires  were  stamped  out  and  great  bundles 
were  tied  on  the  backs  of  the  patient  little  donkeys.  The  sheep 
were  frightened  and  cried,  and  the  procession  began  to  move, 
on  and  on  through  the  wilderness. 

The  wilderness  was  a  lonely  place.  The  people  walked  across 
hot,  soft  sand,  and  past  bushes  that  were  covered  with  thorns. 
There  were  so  few  shady  places  that  they  were  glad  to  rest 
for  a  while  in  the  shadows  of  the  great  rocks.  It  almost  never 
rained,  and  the  only  water  that  could  be  found  came  bubbling 
up  through  the  sand.  These  places  are  called  wells  and  springs, 
and  the  people  looked  across  the  sand  hoping  to  see  green 
grass  and  palm  trees,  for  where  they  saw  the  palm  trees  waving 
their  great  leaves  in  the  breeze  they  knew  that  there  were 
springs.  The  trees  would  not  grow  without  water,  and  the 
water  that  overflows  and  runs  away  over  the  sand  makes  the 
grass  grow.  These  are  the  places  the  thirsty  travelers  are  glad 
to  see.  How  the  Children  of  Israel  must  have  hoped  that 
when  the  cloud  stood  still  there  would  be  springs  and  palm 


234    A  SECOND^  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

trees !  For  they  were  sometimes  hungry  and  thirsty  and  very 
tired,  and  they  complained  to  Moses,  forgetting  that  God  was 
in  the  cloud.  But  Moses  talked  with  God  and  obeyed  him,  and 
one  day  the  cloud  stood  still  over  a  green,  shady  place  where 
there  were  twelve  wells  and  seventy  palm  trees.  How  glad 
they  all  were !  Now  they  could  rest !  There  was  water  enough 
for  all — cool  and  fresh  and  clear.  The  thirsty  people  drank 
and  drank.  They  gave  water  to  the  sheep  and  goats  and  don- 
keys. And  there  by  the  wells  of  water  they  rested  for  a  while, 
and  the  cloud  was  there,  soft  and  white  by  day,  but  glowing 
with  light  by  night. 

So  the  cloud  led  the  people  on  and  on,  and  one  day,  when 
Moses  had  been  talking  with  God,  he  told  the  Children  of 
Israel  what  God  had  said  that  they  must  do.  God  had  told 
Moses  and  the  people  to  build  the  tent  church,  and  you  re- 
member how  they  obeyed.  They  worked  hard  and  every  one 
did  as  he  was  told  and  one  day  the  tent  church  was  finished 
and  very  beautiful.  It  was  God's  house,  and  the  pillar  of  cloud 
that  had  shown  the  people  the  way  came  over  the  tabernacle 
and  covered  it.  And  God  was  there  and  his  glory  filled  the 
place. 

Activity : 

Making  books.  Give  each  child  a  few  loose-leaf  sheets  not 
smaller  than  5x8  inches,  and  two  sheets  of  colored  or  tinted 
paper  for  the  cover.  The  cover  should  be  an  inch  larger  both 
ways  than  the  pages.  Tinted  typewriter  paper  is  good  for 
this  purpose  or  the  kindergarten  papers  can  be  bought  in 
sheets.  Tie  the  books  together  with  ribbons  or  worsted. 
Chicken-leg  rings  are  very  good  for  this  purpose,  as  a  clever 
Vermont  teacher  has  discovered,  for  the  rings  make  it  easy 
to  add  leaves  to  the  book  and  are  much  cheaper  than  the 
patented  metal  rings  made  for  holding  papers  together. 

The  book  plate  given  here  may  be  traced  and  mounted  as  a 


CHILDREN  OF  ISRAEL  LEARNING  TO  OBEY    235 

cover  design.  The  tracing  should  be  done  by  the  teacher,  and 
given  to  the  children  to  be  mounted.  If  there  is  time,  the 
letters  may  be  colored  or  the  background  tinted  with  crayons 
in  any  color  most  liked  for  the  purpose.  As  an  activity  for 
the  lessons  in  this  group  the  children  will  write  in  these  books 
the  memory  work  concerning  obedience,  the  prayer  made  by 
the  class,  and  possibly  a  hymn.  Do  not  hurry  the  work,  for 
the  coloring  may  be  done  at  another  time. 

Service  of  Worship: 

Hymn  :     O  Come  and  Let  Us  Worship. 

Scripture  Reading  :  The  Memory  Work.  Ask  the  chil- 
dren to  repeat  as  much  of  it  as  they  can  with  you,  going  over 
it  several  times. 

Hymn  :  Night  and  Day  (A  First  Book  in  Hymns  and 
Worship,  No.  12). 

"When  I  run  about  all  day, 

When  I  kneel  at  night  to  pray, 
God  sees,  God  sees. 

"When  I'm  dreaming  in  the  dark, 
When  I  lie  awake  and  hark, 
God  sees,  God  sees. 

"Need  I  ever  know  a  fear? 

Night  and  day  my  Father's  near 
God  sees,  God  sees." 
(The  Century  Company,  owners  of  copyright 
of  poem.) 

Prayer:  Recall  the  sentence  formed  at  the  last  service 
and  ask  if  anything  can  be  added  to-day.  Take  time  to  help 
ideas  to  form  and  add  what  you  decide  upon  to  the  first  sen- 
tence.    Use  this  prayer  and  the  Lord's  Prayer. 

Hymn  (chosen  by  a  child). 


236    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

Benediction  : 
"Gentle  Child  of  Nazareth, 
Let  thy  life  so  meek  and  tender, 
Make  us  glad  obedience  render 
To  our  father  and  our  mother, 
And  be  kind  to  one  another, 

Gentle  Child  of  Nazareth.    Amen." 

Note  :  In  helping  the  children  to  think  of  what  they  wish  to 
say  as  they  pray,  refer  to  the  stories  about  obedience  and  ask 
if  they  think  it  necessary  for  everybody  to  obey,  and  if  they  think 
it  very  hard  sometimes.  Then  we  need  help,  and  the  heavenly 
Father  will  help  if  we  ask  him.  Suppose  we  ask  him  to  help  us. 
How  shall  we  say  it? 


&Mh  !<§)©Ik 


My  Name  is: 


v 


Lg> 


wgrnnsm 


LESSON  XLIII 

THE  CHILDREN  OF  ISRAEL  OBEY  AND  DISOBEY 

Any  of  the  games  and  drills  that  depend  upon  obedience 
for  a  perfect  effect  will  illustrate  the  theme,  so  recall  some  of 
the  games  played  in  connection  with  the  lessons  in  loyalty  and 
use  the  broom  drill.  If  the  day  is  fine,  give  the  first  children 
to  arrive  brooms,  and  before  they  take  off  their  hats  and  coats 
let  them  sweep  the  court  or  the  steps  of  the  building.  Where 
there  is  a  light  snow  this  is  very  much  enjoyed,  and  it  is  a 
real  help  to  the  janitor. 

Story: 

The  Children  of  Israel  were  happy  in  that  pleasant  place 
where  there  were  twelve  wells  and  seventy  palm  trees,  but  one 
day  the  cloud  moved!  The  Children  of  Israel  followed  the 
cloud  and  were  sad.  They  cried  bitterly,  for  they  were  led 
out  on  the  dry  sands  again,  and  there  was  nothing  for  them 
to  eat. 

Again  they  spoke  crossly  to  Moses,  and  complained.  "Why 
did  you  bring  us  away  from  Egypt?"  they  said.  "At  least  we 
were  not  hungry  there."  Then  Moses  talked  with  God,  and 
God  said,  "In  the  morning  ye  shall  be  filled  with  bread." 

Night  came  and  the  cloud  was  still.  The  people  slept  in 
their  tents  and  it  was  quiet.  Dew  fell  from  the  sky  and  the 
ground  was  wet  with  it.  The  dew  falls  when  it  is  dark  and 
cool  and  when  the  sun  rises  and  it  is  morning,  the  dew  dries. 
When  the  dew  dried  that  morning,  the  ground  was  covered 
with  small  white  things  that  looked  like  frost.  The  Children 
of  Israel  awoke  and  opened  their  tents.  They  came  out  to 
begin  the  day — and  they  wondered !    They  had  never  seen  the 

237 


238    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

ground  covered  with  white  things  like  frost  before.  "What  is 
it?"  they  asked.  They  picked  it  up  and  looked  at  it.  The 
children  picked  it  up  and  put  it  into  their  mouths.  It  was 
sweet  like  cakes  made  with  honey!  "What  is  it?"  they  asked. 
And  because  they  did  not  know  what  it  was  they  called  it 
"What  is  it?"  and  the  word  that  means  "What  is  it?"  in  their 
language  was  "manna." 

Moses  said:  "This  is  the  bread  which  the  Lord  has  given 
you  to  eat.  This  is  the  thing  which  the  Lord  hath  commanded ; 
gather  of  it,  each  man,  enough  for  all  who  live  in  his  tent." 
And  the  Children  of  Israel  gathered  the  sweet  white  cakes  in 
baskets,  and  some  gathered  more  and  some  less,  for  in  some 
tents  there  were  more  children  than  there  were  in  other  tents. 

Then  Moses  said,  "Let  no  man  keep  manna  in  his  tent  until 
the  morning."  But  a  great  many  disobeyed,  and  kept  baskets 
full  of  manna  in  their  tents  until  the  morning.  And  the  manna 
melted  away  and  spoiled.  When  morning  came  Moses  was 
angry  because  the  people  had  disobeyed. 

Every  morning  for  a  week,  when  the  dew  dried  and  the  sun 
rose,  manna,  fresh  and  sweet,  lay  upon  the  ground.  Every 
morning  the  people  gathered  it  in  baskets,  enough  for  all. 
Every  day  when  the  sun  was  hot,  at  noon,  the  manna  melted 
and  was  gone.  Then  came  the  day  before  the  Sabbath,  and 
Moses  said :  "To-morrow  will  be  the  Sabbath  day,  when  every- 
one should  rest.  So  gather  enough  manna  for  to-day  and  to- 
morrow, also."  They  obeyed  Moses,  and  in  the  morning  when 
the  Sabbath  day  had  come  the  manna  they  had  gathered  was 
fresh  and  good.  On  that  day  there  was  no  manna  on  the 
ground.  God  was  taking  care  of  the  Children  of  Israel  in  a 
wonderful  way,  and  yet  some  of  the  people  did  not  understand 
and  still  disobeyed.  They  could  not  believe  that  Moses  was 
wise,  and  they  went  out  with  baskets  on  the  Sabbath  morning 
to  gather  manna — and  found  none! 

When  all  these  wonderful  things  had  happened,  and  the 


CHILDREN  OF  ISRAEL  OBEY  AND  DISOBEY    239 

people  had  had  time  to  think,  they  began  to  understand  about 
obeying,  and  they  gathered  the  manna  just  as  they  were  told. 
It  was  a  beautiful,  loving  way  for  God  to  care  for  his  people, 
and  Moses  wanted  them  to  remember  it  always  and  be  thank- 
ful. So  he  saved  some  of  the  manna  to  show,  when  the  chil- 
dren who  ate  it  in  the  wilderness  were  old,  and  told  their 
little  grandchildren  about  it.  Moses  put  the  manna  in  the  ark 
— that  beautiful  gold  box  in  the  tabernacle.  God  kept  the 
manna  fresh  and  good,  and  it  helped  the  people  to  obey  when 
they  remembered  that  it  was  there. 

The  Children  of  Israel  could  not  plant  gardens ;  the  bright 
cloud  might  move  before  the  wheat  and  vegetables  were  ripe. 
So  God  sent  manna,  and  the  Children  of  Israel  ate  of  it  for 
forty  years,  until  their  journey  was  ended  and  they  came  to 
the  land  called  Canaan,  that  new  home  that  God  had  promised 
them.  (Recall  the  story  in  Lesson  XII,  and  ask  the  children 
to  tell  it.) 

Activity : 

Finish  making  the  books.  If  the  work  was  not  finished  at 
the  last  lesson,  mount  the  book  plates  and  color  them.  Write 
the  children's  names  in  the  spaces  designed  for  that  purpose. 
If  this  was  accomplished,  have  the  children  write  the  first  verse 
of  the  memory  work  in  the  books.  Put  a  copy  on  the  black- 
board and  go  around  the  table,  helping  and  encouraging. 

Service  of  Worship : 

Hymn:  America  the  Beautiful.  (Speak  of  the  "fruited 
plains."    God  feeds  us  in  that  way.) 

Scripture  Reading:  Ask  the  children  to  repeat  the 
Memory  Work  with  you,  stressing  and  commenting  upon  the 
first  two  sentences.  Repeat  the  Memory  Work  learned  at 
Thanksgiving  also. 


240    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

Hymn:     Father,  We  Thank  Thee. 

Poem:     A  Blessing  (see  Lesson  XII). 

Prayer  :  Add  a  phrase  to  the  prayer  the  children  are  mak- 
ing. Read  to  them  what  they  have  already  composed  and  with 
bowed  heads  repeat  the  whole,  adding  the  Lord's  Prayer.  Re- 
fer to  our  request  for  "daily  bread"  and  ask  if  God  answers 
that  prayer.    Explain  again  that  daily  bread  means  "food." 

Hymn  (the  children's  choice). 
Benediction  : 
"Gentle  Child  of  Nazareth, 
Let  thy  life  so  meek  and  tender, 
Make  us  glad  obedience  render, 
To  our  father  and  our  mother, 
And  be  kind  to  one  another, 

Gentle  Child  of  Nazareth.    Amen." 


LESSON  XLIV 

THE  COMMANDMENTS 

The  games  played  to-day  should  impress  the  theme,  obedi- 
ence, very  definitely.  Ring  games  may  be  enjoyed,  and  when 
all  have  arrived,  a  march  should  be  led  by  the  teacher,  who 
should  give  definite  orders  and  insist  upon  prompt  obedience. 
The  children  who  fail  to  obey  should  be  asked  to  leave  the 
line  and  stand  where  they  can  observe.  Point  out  the  fact  that 
a  good  march  is  impossible  without  obedience.  Show  how 
interesting  a  march  may  be  when  all  obey.  Suggestions  will 
be  found  in  the  Loyalty  lessons  for  this  exercise. 

Story:  Tables  of  Stone. 

As  the  Children  of  Israel  traveled  in  the  wilderness  they 
came  to  a  mountain  called  Mount  Sinai.  God  was  still  in  the 
cloud  that  went  before  to  show  the  people  how  to  go,  and  when 
they  came  to  the  mountain  the  cloud  settled  on  the  mountain 
so  that  the  people  could  not  see  the  top  of  it,  and  God  was 
there  and  it  was  wondrously  bright.  It  was  like  a  fire  burning 
in  the  cloud.  God  called  Moses  up  into  the  rocks  and  cliffs 
at  the  top  of  the  mountain.  Moses  obeyed,  and  as  he  climbed 
he  went  into  the  cloud  and  the  people  could  not  see  him.  God 
gave  Moses  a  message  for  the  people.  God  said  to  Moses, 
"Thus  shalt  thou  say  to  the  Children  of  Israel:  'Ye  have 
crossed  the  Red  Sea,  and  ye  saw  how  I  helped  you.  I  have 
cared  for  you  as  the  eagle  mothers  care  for  the  little  eagles, 
when  they  carry  them  on  strong  wings  to  safe  places.  If  ye 
will  obey  me,  and  keep  my  commandments  ye  shall  be  very 
dear  to  me,  always  in  my  care.'  " 

When  Moses  repeated  this  message  to  the  Children  of  Is- 
241 


242     A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

rael  they  were  glad  and  they  promised  to  obey  God  and  to 
serve  him.  And  again  God  spoke  to  Moses  and  said,  "Come 
up  to  me  on  the  mountain  and  I  will  give  thee  a  law  and  com- 
mandment for  thee  to  teach  the  Children  of  Israel  to  obey." 
Again  Moses  went  up  the  mountain,  and  the  cloud  covered 
him.  God  spoke  to  him  there  on  Mount  Sinai  the  Command- 
ments which  the  Children  of  Israel  were  to  obey;  and  the 
people  stood  in  a  crowd  on  the  sand  and  saw  the  bright  cloud 
and  heard  God's  voice.  They  wondered  and  were  afraid. 
They  ran  farther  away  from  the  mountain,  but  still  they  heard 
God's  voice  telling  them  how  to  obey  him.  And  these  Com- 
mandments were  for  all  of  God's  children,  everywhere,  and 
now,  as  well  as  in  that  olden  time.  Everywhere  and  always 
God's  children  must  obey  his  laws  if  they  are  to  be  good  and 
well  and  happy. 

God  gave  unto  Moses  two  stones  called  tables  of  stone,  and 
behold,  his  commandments  were  written  on  the  stone! 

When  Moses  came  down  from  the  mountain  he  wrote  in  a 
book  what  God  had  said  to  him  and  read  to  the  people  what 
he  had  written. 

One  of  God's  commandments  was  especially  for  children. 
God  commanded  all  children  to  honor  their  fathers  and  their 
mothers.    To  honor  is  to  obey  and  to  respect  and  to  love. 

God  also  commanded  that  his  children  should  not  take  what 
belonged  to  someone  else.  He  said,  "Thou  shalt  not  steal." 
He  commanded  us  to  tell  the  truth,  and  to  do  only  kind  and 
helpful  things.  And  God  said,  "Remember  the  Sabbath  day 
to  keep  it  holy."  "Holy"  means  "good."  When  we  are  good, 
and  when  we  do  good  on  God's  day  we  are  obeying  his  com- 
mand. 

Activity : 

Make  clay  tablets  and  write  on  them  "Honor  thy  father  and 
thy  mother."  Give  each  child  a  piece  of  moist  clay  or  plasticine 


THE  COMMANDMENTS  243 

and  show  how  to  make  it  into  a  flat  square  tablet.  Smooth  the 
surface  with  a  table  knife  and  give  the  children  match  sticks 
or  knitting  needles  to  write  with.  Mistakes  may  be  smoothed 
away  with  the  table  knife  and  the  tablets  set  carefully  away 
to  be  shellacked  at  the  next  lesson.  Or,  if  there  is  time,  they 
may  be  finished  to-day  and  left  to  dry.  If  working  in  clay  is 
not  practical,  write  a  phrase  in  the  books. 

Service  of  Worship : 

Hymn  :     0  Come  and  Let  Us  Worship. 

Scripture  Reading:  The  Memory  Work:  Asking  all 
who  remember  it  to  say  it  with  you.  Also  read  aloud  the 
fourth  commandment. 

Prayer:  Add  a  sentence  about  obeying  parents,  and  use 
the  prayer,  following  it  with  the  Lord's  Prayer.  Comment 
simply  on  the  phrase  "Thy  will  be  done."  God's  will  is  that 
we  should  obey  him.  If  we  mean  what  we  say  when  we  pray, 
we  will  try  to  obey  his  commandments. 

Hymn:     The  Playmate  of  Nazareth. 

Benediction  (see  Lesson  XLI). 


LESSON  XLV 

HONOR  THY  FATHER  AND  THY  MOTHER 

When  enough  children  have  gathered  to  make  the  street 
scenes  a  success  play  them  again  and  add :  "Show  me  what  you 
would  do  if  I  were  your  mother  and  called  you  to  come  home." 
"What  would  you  do  if  I  were  your  grandmother  and  came 
down  the  street  carrying  a  box?"  "What  would  you  do  if  your 
father  asked  you  to  do  an  errand?"  etc. 

Story:    To  be  told  after  reviewing  "How  Jesus  worked  and 
played"  (Lesson  XVI). 

So  Jesus  worked  and  played,  and  was  happy,  and  then,  one 
Christmas  Day,  he  was  twelve  years  old !  All  of  the  children 
with  whom  Jesus  played  looked  forward  to  being  twelve,  for 
then  they  were  old  enough  and  strong  enough  to  take  a  long 
journey.  Little  children  could  not  take  such  long  walks  as 
the  people  did  in  those  days  when  they  went  from  one  place 
to  another. 

The  great  journey  that  all  the  children  longed  to  be  strong 
enough  to  take  was  to  Jerusalem.  Every  year  Joseph  and 
Mary — and,  indeed,  all  of  the  fathers  and  mothers  in  Nazareth 
and  in  other  places  too — went  up  to  Jerusalem  to  a  great  cele- 
bration. The  boys  and  girls  were  just  as  excited  about  this 
celebration  as  you  are  about  the  Fourth  of  July.  On  the  Fourth 
of  July  we  celebrate  the  time  when  America  became  free.  We 
are  glad  that  our  country  is  free,  and  we  are  trying  to  be  good 
and  to  obey  the  laws  so  that  our  country  will  always  be  free. 
The  children  in  Palestine,  the  land  where  Jesus  lived,  were 
glad  that  they  were  free.  When  they  went  up  to  Jerusalem 
they  celebrated  the  time  when,  long,  long  before,  their  grand- 
fathers, who  were  the  Children  of  Israel,  crossed  the  Red  Sea. 
244 


HONOR  THY  FATHER  AND  THY  MOTHER     245 

God  led  them  and  made  them  free,  and  so  every  year  they 
went  up  to  the  Temple  to  a  beautiful  service,  to  sing  their 
thankfulness.  It  was  long,  long  ago  that  our  country  was 
made  "the  land  of  the  free,"  and  yet  we  love  to  hear  about  it. 
It  was  long,  long  before  Jesus  was  a  little  boy  in  Nazareth 
that  the  Children  of  Israel  had  come  across  the  Red  Sea,  and 
yet  all  of  the  children  loved  to  hear  about  Moses  and  about  all 
that  happened  on  the  long  journey  through  the  wilderness  to 
Canaan,  the  home  that  God  had  promised  to  give  the  Children 
of  Israel.  It  is  no  wonder  that  the  children  looked  forward  to 
going  up  to  Jerusalem,  for  it  was  a  wonderful  celebration  and 
it  lasted  about  a  week!  When  Jesus  was  twelve  and  strong 
and  well,  and  good,  Mary  and  Joseph  took  him  to  the  cele- 
bration. 

They  started  early  in  the  morning,  and  it  was  springtime.  A 
great  many  people  traveled  with  them,  for  nearly  everyone 
was  going  to  Jerusalem.  It  was  a  happy  time.  They  walked 
in  the  sunshine,  visiting  with  the  people  they  met,  and  the 
children  ran  ahead,  and  into  the  fields  to  gather  lilies,  and 
lingered  behind  to  play.  When  it  was  noon  they  sat  on  the 
grass  and  ate  some  of  the  food  they  had  brought.  They  drank 
from  the  wells  along  the  way,  and  when  night  came  they  slept 
in  the  fields.  Some  of  the  people  carried  tents,  and  when  it 
was  bedtime  they  put  the  tents  up  and  the  children  slept  in 
them.  But  a  great  many  people  lay  on  the  grass  and  looked 
up  at  the  dark-blue  night  sky  and  the  stars  until  they  went  to 
sleep. 

For  three  whole  days  they  walked,  and  they  spent  three 
nights  under  the  stars.  Then  they  came  to  a  high  place  in  the 
road  and  they  could  see  Jerusalem !  When  Jesus  was  a  little  boy 
he  used  to  climb  a  hill  and  make  believe  that  he  could  see 
Jerusalem,  and  probably  he  had  made  stories  about  it  and 
talked  with  his  brothers  about  the  time  when  they  would  be 
twelve  years  old. 


246    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

The  children  looked  at  Jerusalem,  and  their  eyes  were  wide 
and  bright.  They  looked  for  the  Temple.  Yes,  there  it  was, 
standing  on  a  hill,  beautiful  and  shining,  with  the  sun  on  it. 
There  was  the  wall,  and  there  were  the  gates,  those  strong 
gates  that  had  been  called  "everlasting  doors."  Then  they 
hurried  down  the  last  slope  and  went  in  through  one  of  the 
gates  into  the  streets  of  Jerusalem. 

Joseph  and  Mary  and  Jesus  walked  up  the  streets,  past  the 
flat-roofed  clay  houses  to  the  Temple.  There  was  a  gate 
through  which  they  had  to  go,  and  a  court  around  the  Temple, 
and  as  they  went  in  they  sang, 

"Enter  into  his  gates  with  thanksgiving, 
And  into  his  courts  with  praise." 

The  beautiful  Temple  was  crowded  with  people  and  there  was 
music  and  preaching. 

After  the  service  Mary  and  Joseph  took  Jesus  to  the  house 
where  they  had  been  invited  to  visit.  That  night  in  every 
house  the  people  sat  down  to  eat  together  and  to  tell  the  won- 
derful stories  of  the  Children  of  Israel  over  and  over  again. 

The  people  stayed  in  Jerusalem  for  a  whole  week,  and  the 
children  saw  a  great  many  interesting  sights.  Soldiers  walked 
about  with  their  shining  helmets  and  flashing  spears.  Camels 
carried  bright  little  red-and-gold  tents  in  which  rode  strange- 
looking  people  from  far-away  parts  of  the  country.  Men 
were  selling  doves  and  lambs,  and  there  was  much  noise  and 
confusion. 

The  children  loved  it  all,  but  one  day  it  was  all  over  and 
the  people  started  to  walk  back  to  their  homes.  Out  through 
the  city  gates  the  people  went  in  great  crowds  and  Mary  and 
Joseph  went  too.  Jesus  was  not  with  them,  but  there  were  so 
many  people  that  at  first  they  did  not  miss  him,  and  then  they 
thought  that  he  was  walking  with  the  other  children.  But 
when  the  children  lay  down  on  the  grass  to  sleep,  and  it  was 


HONOR  THY  FATHER  AND  THY  MOTHER     247 

dark,  Jesus  had  not  been  found.  Mary  went  quietly  about 
among  the  children,  bending  down  to  look  at  their  little  faces 
to  see  if  perhaps  Jesus  was  among  them,  but  she  did  not  find 
him.  Mary  and  Joseph  were  troubled  and  worried,  and  they 
started  back  on  the  road  to  Jerusalem  to  look  for  Jesus.  They 
looked  for  him  in  the  streets  and  in  the  houses  where  they  had 
visited,  but  they  did  not  find  him.  They  went  to  the  Temple, 
and  there,  sitting  on  the  floor,  listening  to  the  wise  ministers 
as  they  taught,  they  found  Jesus.  Jesus  was  asking  questions 
and  listening  to  every  word,  whether  he  understood  or  not. 

How  glad  Mary  and  Joseph  were !  But  Mary  remembered 
how  frightened  she  had  been  and  she  said,  "Son,  why  hast 
thou  thus  dealt  with  us  ?  Behold,  thy  father  and  I  sought  thee 
sorrowing."  And  he  said  unto  them,  "Knew  ye  not  that  I 
must  be  in  my  Father's  house?"  But  he  rose  up,  and  Mary 
took  his  hand  and  they  went  away  together,  and  Jesus  did  just 
as  Joseph  and  Mary  wished  to  have  him  do.  He  honored 
them,  and  loved  them,  and  they  went  back  to  Nazareth  to- 
gether and  were  happy.  Mary  remembered  what  Jesus  had 
said  about  his  Father's  house.  She  was  glad  that  he  loved  to 
be  there.  And  Jesus  grew,  and  learned,  and  everyone  loved 
him. 

"Gentle  Child  of  Nazareth, 

Let  thy  life  so  meek  and  tender, 

Make  us  glad  obedience  render, 

To  our  father  and  our  mother, 

And  be  kind  to  one  another, 
Gentle  Child  of  Nazareth. 

"Wondrous  Child  of  Nazareth, 
Let  thy  early  love  of  learning, 
Set  our  youthful  spirits  yearning 
Daily  to  be  growing  wiser, 
Thou  our  teacher  and  adviser, 
Wondrous  Child  of  Nazareth. 


248     A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

"Holy  Child  of  Nazareth, 
Help  us  use  the  powers  lent  us, 
Do  the  work  of  Him  who  sent  us, 
Draw  to  thee  in  closer  union, 
Share  thy  people's  sweet  communion, 
Holy  Child  of  Nazareth." 

Activity:      Shellac  the  tablets,  or  write  in  books  "Honor  thy 
father  and  thy  mother." 

Service  of  Worship : 

Hymn  :     The  Playmate  of  Nazareth. 

Scripture  Reading:  The  Memory  Work  and  Psalm  24 
(repeated  by  the  children). 

Prayer  :  The  children's  prayer,  to  which  they  may  add  a 
phrase  to-day,  and  the  Lord's  Prayer.  "Thy  will  be  done." 
God  wishes  us  to  honor  our  fathers  and  mothers.  That  is  his 
will. 

Hymn  :     Father,  We  Thank  Thee. 

Benediction. 

For  the  Teacher:  "Spiritual  teaching  is  the  implanting  of 
a  spirit.  It  is  aiding  the  scholar  to  solve  his  moral  problems 
— his  problems,  not  his  teacher's  nor  his  grandfather's.  The 
word  "spiritual"  does  not  refer  to  the  subject  taught,  but  to 
the  object  to  be  gained.  The  thing  we  teach  is  life,  power, 
liberty.  The  things  with  which  we  teach — words,  pictures, 
printers'  ink,  maps,  crayons,  sand  piles,  or  what  not — are  all 
so  many  symbols  and  nothing  more,  and  no  one  of  these  things 
is  more  sacred  than  another." 

(Milton  Littlefield,  in  Handwork  in  the  Sunday  School. 
Used  by  permission.) 


LESSON  XLVI 
THE  WHOLE  LAW 

Gather  about  the  piano  and  sing  any  songs  asked  for  by 
the  children,  and  when  enough  have  arrived,  play  "Behavior 
on  Street  Cars."  It  will  take  time  to  assign  the  parts  and  to 
make  suitable  arrangements  of  chairs,  bundles,  and  so  on.  The 
dramatization  should  be  performed  twice,  the  second  time 
with  very  little  help  from  the  teacher. 

The  children  may  play  that  they  are  going  to  a  church 
service,  and  at  the  end  of  the  second  performance  the  con- 
ductor may  call  out :  "End  of  the  line !  All  out  for  the  First 
Church!"  (or  the  name  of  your  church).  Have  chimes  or  a 
hymn  played,  as  the  children  come  to  the  chairs  for  the  service. 
The  story  for  this  lesson  takes  the  form  of  a  little  sermon. 

Service  of  Worship: 

Hymn. 

Scripture  Reading:  The  Memory  Work  for  December, 
Luke  2.  8-16.  Also  verses  for  this  group,  concerning  obedi- 
ence.    The  children  should  repeat  it  all. 

Hymn:  /  Should  Like  to  Have  Been  With  Him  Then 
(A  First  Book  in  Hymns  and  Worship,  No.  27). 

Poem:     Gentle  Child  of  Nazareth  (see  Lesson  XXVI). 

Sermon  :  Do  you  remember  the  story  of  how  God  gave 
the  Commandments  to  Moses,  to  read  to  the  Children  of  Is- 
rael? That  happened  many  long  years  before  Jesus  came  to 
live  on  the  earth.  All  through  these  long  years  the  people  had 
known  the  Commandments  by  heart,  and  many  people  had 
249 


250     A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

tried  to  obey  them.  But  it  was  very  hard  because  Jesus  had 
not  come  to  teach  them  how  to  love  each  other  in  the  right 
way.  When  we  love  a  person  it  is  easy  to  obey,  and  we  cannot 
even  think  of  taking  what  belongs  to  our  dear  people,  for  we 
want  them  to  be  happy.  Can  you  imagine  taking  your  baby's 
mug  away  from  him  and  drinking  his  milk?  You  could  not 
take  even  a  broken  toy  from  him,  could  you? 

It  was  hard  for  the  people  who  tried  to  obey  without  lov- 
ing. And  then  Jesus  came !  One  day  Jesus  was  teaching  some 
men  who  had  come  to  study  with  him.  They  were  talking 
about  the  Commandments  and  one  of  them  asked,  "Teacher, 
which  is  the  greatest,  the  most  important  commandment  for 
us  to  obey?" 

"And  he  said  unto  him,  Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God 
with  all  thy  heart,  and  with  all  thy  soul,  and  with  all  thy  mind. 
This  is  the  great  and  first  commandment.  And  a  second  like 
unto  it  is  this,  Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself." 

There  is  a  story  in  the  Bible  about  a  woman  who  loved 
her  neighbors  as  she  loved  herself.  Her  name  was  Dorcas 
and  she  lived  in  a  little  town  called  Joppa.  Joppa  was  on  the 
seashore,  and  when  Dorcas  was  a  little  girl  she  played  in  the 
sand  with  the  other  children.  Dorcas  loved  the  children  and 
she  told  them  stories  and  made  them  happy.  Dorcas  knew  a 
great  many  of  the  stories  that  we  know.  She  knew  the  story 
of  the  Garden  of  Eden,  and  about  the  Children  of  Israel.  She 
loved  to  tell  about  the  wonderful  things  that  happened  to  them 
as  they  journeyed  to  their  new  home,  and  she  knew  that  in  an 
old  Book  there  was  a  promise  that  she  loved  to  think  about. 
It  was  the  same  promise  that  the  Wise  Men  had  read  and  the 
shepherds  had  been  taught.  It  was  God's  promise  that  some 
day  Jesus  would  come  to  live  on  the  earth. 

Dorcas  grew  up,  and  kept  on  doing  lovely,  helpful  things 
for  everyone  who  needed  her,  and  Jesus  came,  and  taught,  and 
Dorcas  did  not  hear  about  him!    No,  she  kept  on  hoping  that 


THE  WHOLE  LAW  251 

he  wouid  come,  but  no  one  came  to  tell  the  people  of  Joppa 
the  story  of  Christmas,  and  that  Jesus  had  grown  up  and  was 
doing  God's  wonderful  work. 

And  then,  one  day,  one  of  Jesus'  friends  came  to  Joppa  to 
teach  the  people,  and  he  told  them  the  stories  of  Jesus.  He 
taught  them  the  two  great  commandments  about  loving  and 
obeying,  and,  of  course,  Dorcas  was  there  and  heard  it  all ! 

After  that  Dorcas  worked  harder  than  ever.  She  made 
warm  little  coats  for  the  children  to  wear  when  the  wind  blew 
from  the  sea  and  was  cold.  She  made  little  cakes  and  loaves 
of  bread  for  hungry  people,  and  when  they  were  ill  she  went 
to  them  and  took  loving  care  of  them.  How  the  neighbors  in 
Joppa  must  have  loved  Dorcas !  And,  you  see,  she  was  show- 
ing them  how  to  keep  the  two  great  commandments  by  loving 
them. 

Prayer:  The  children's  prayer,  followed  by  the  Lord's 
Prayer. 

Hymn  :  Thank  the  Lord  for  All  His  Love  (A  First  Book 
in  Hymns  and  Worship,  No.  18). 

"We  plow  the  fields,  and  scatter 

The  good  seed  on  the  land, 
But  it  is  fed  and  watered 

By  God's  almighty  hand ; 
He  sends  the  snow  in  winter, 

The  warmth  to  swell  the  grain, 
The  breezes  and  the  sunshine, 

And  soft  refreshing  rain. 

Refrain 

"All  good  gifts  around  us 

Are  sent  from  heav'n  above ; 
Then  thank  the  Lord,  O  thank  the  Lord 
For  all  his  love. 


252    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

"He  only  is  the  maker 

Of  all  things  near  and  far; 
He  paints  the  wayside  flower, 

He  lights  the  evening  star ; 
The  winds  and  waves  obey  him, 

By  him  the  birds  are  fed ; 
Much  more  to  us  the  children, 

He  gives  our  daily  bread." 

Benediction. 

An  "Almsdeed."  Open  the  mite  box  and  count  the  money. 
Suggest  going  to  a  store  together  for  an  orange,  or  a  flower  to 
leave  with  a  neighbor  who  is  ill  or  without  a  reason,  other 
than  that  you  know  and  love  her.  Or  write  verses  on  colored 
paper  and  take  them  home  to  mothers,  or  grandmothers.  Ask 
if  the  people  at  home  like  to  hear  stories,  and  suggest  writing 
on  a  slip  of  paper,  "Would  you  like  me  to  tell  you  a  story?"  the 
paper  to  be  folded  into  father's  napkin.  Recall  the  stories 
told  with  these  lessons  in  obedience  and  urge  the  children  to 
tell  them  at  home. 

A  Good-by  Song:  Good  Night  (A  First  Book  in  Hymns 
and  Worship,  No.  8). 

For  the  Teacher:  "Joppa:  The  name  of  the  city  is  de- 
rived from  'Japheh,'  meaning  'beautiful,'  and  it  is  mentioned 
as  a  Canaanite  port  on  tablets  which  still  exist  and  date  from 
the  fifteenth  century  b.  c.  The  harbor  is  only  the  semblance 
of  a  harbor;  great  reefs  guard  its  entrance  and  the  sea  dashes 
over  them  with  fury,  making  an  entry  often  impossible. 


"The  streets  are  narrow  and  most  picturesque,  with  people 
from  every  nation  under  heaven  thronging  them.  In  true 
Oriental  fashion,  cooking  and  various  household  economies 
were  going  on  in  broad  daylight  in  the  open,  and  we  threaded 
our  way  through  many  distracting  interests :  past  supercilious 


THE  WHOLE  LAW  253 

camels    and    ambling    donkeys    and    persuasive    sweetmeat- 
sellers. 


"Lydda  is  only  a  few  miles  away.  In  Lydda  Saint  Peter 
was  staying  when  that  holy  woman  who  was  full  of  good 
works  died  in  Joppa. 


"How  graphic  the  scene  is! — the  widows  who  stood  about 
weeping  and  showing  the  coats  and  garments  Dorcas  had 
made  for  them,  and  their  joy  when  she  was  'presented  unto 
them  alive !'  " 

(From  A  Brief  Pilgrimage  in  the  Holy  Land,  by  Caroline 
Hazard.     Houghton  Mifflin  Company,  Boston.) 

Behavior  on  Street  Cars 

(Scene:  Street  Corner.) 

(Three  boys  and  three  girls  waiting  for  car.  As  it  comes 
along,  Emily  starts  to  cross  to  it  without  looking  up  or  down 
the  street.) 

Bessie  :     Look  out,  Emily,  that  auto  will  run  over  you ! 

Emily  (stopping  just  in  time):  Oh,  my!  That  was  a 
narrow  escape.    I  never  think  to  look  before  I  cross  the  street. 

(Car  stops.  Seats  arranged  to  suggest  car.  Billy  and 
Louis  hurry  toward  steps.) 

Billy  :     Come  on,  boys,  let's  get  seats  in  front. 

Elmer:  Plenty  of  room.  Let's  stand  aside  and  let  the 
girls  get  on  first. 

(Boys  stand  aside  while  girls  get  on  car.  The  boys  follow. 
Nell  drops  a  package.  Billy  picks  it  up — returns  it,  at  the 
same  time  raising  his  hat.) 

Nell:     Thank  you,  Billy. 


254    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

(Conductor  collects  fares;  overlooks  Louis.) 
Louis  (to  other  boys)  :     He  didn't  get  my  fare.     I'll  treat 
as  soon  as  we  get  off. 

Elmer :     Do  you  really  think  that's  the  honest  thing  to  do? 

Louis :  Well,  I  don't  know.  I  always  thought  that  if  you 
offered  your  money  and  the  conductor  didn't  take  it,  that  was 
his  fault.  But  I  guess  you're  right,  Elmer.  I've  had  the  ride 
and  I  ought  to  pay  for  it. 

(Conductor  comes  by  again.) 

Louis:  Conductor,  you  forgot  to  take  my  fare.  (Holds 
up  money.) 

Conductor:     There's  an  honest  boy.    Thank  you. 


Children  Dramatizing  Behavior  on  Street  Cars 


THE  WHOLE  LAW  255 

Billy  (to  conductor)  :     Please  stop  at  Seventh  Street. 

(Car  stops.     Boys  rise.) 

Conductor  :     Wait  until  the  car  stops,  boys. 

Boys:     We  will,  Conductor. 

(As  they  get  off  the  car  an  old  lady  -with  a  bundle  is  waiting 
to  get  on.) 

Billy  :  Permit  me,  madam ;  let  me  hold  your  bundle  while 
you  get  on. 

Old  Lady  :     Thank  you,  my  boy,  you  are  very  kind. 

(Louis  helps  Lady  up  steps.     Billy  hands  bundle  up. 

Boys  raise  hats  and  go  down  street.    Lady  smiles  and  bows. ) 

(Reprinted  by  permission  from  "Training  in  Courtesy" 

Bulletin,   191 7,   No.   54,  Department  of  the  Interior, 

Bureau  of  Education,  Washington,  D.  C.) 


LESSON  XLVII 

AN  OBEDIENT  CHILD 

This  lesson  will  serve  to  teach  obedience  and  also  world 
brotherhood.  It  may  be  counted  as  one  of  the  missionary  les- 
sons, which,  of  course,  all  world  brotherhood  lessons  are. 
Begin  on  the  hour  playing  "Lame  Chicken"  and  let  the  chil- 
dren join  the  game  as  they  arrive.  If  this  game  does  not  ap- 
peal, use  the  street-car  scene  again,  and  if  there  is  time,  the 
street  scenes  from  Lesson  III. 

Lame  Chicken 

One  of  the  best  and  jolliest  of  games  is  "Lame  Chicken." 
If  you  have  never  played  it,  do  try  it.  It  is  really  great  fun. 
Boys  and  girls  in  Japan  play  it  with  their  slippers ;  small  blocks 
of  wood  or  bean-bags  or  little  stones  will  do  as  well.  Each 
player  donates  a  slipper  to  the  game,  and  holds  up  the  shoeless 
foot  in  imitation  of  a  lame  chicken.  They  place  the  shoes  in 
straight  rows  with  spaces  of  about  ten  inches  between  the 
shoes.  The  players  line  up  and  in  turn  hop  on  one  foot  over 
each  shoe  until  the  end  of  the  line  is  reached.  The  last  shoe 
is  then  kicked  away,  the  player  using  his  "lame  foot,"  after 
which  it  must  be  picked  up  without  putting  the  lame  foot  to 
the  ground  and  carried  back  over  the  same  route  to  the  first 
end  of  the  line.  If  the  player  has  made  no  slips  or  mistakes, 
he  hops  back  again,  kicks  away  the  last  shoe  on  the  line,  re- 
turns, and  so  on  until  he  fails.  Only  one  foot  may  touch  the 
ground  at  a  time.  The  hopping  must  be  very  deftly  done. 
No  shoes  may  be  touched  excepting  the  end  one  which  is  to  be 
picked  up.  When  "lame  chicken"  breaks  or  infringes  any  of 
256 


AN  OBEDIENT  CHILD  257 

the  rules,  he  must  instantly  give  place  to  another  player. 
At  the  end  of  the  game  the  winner  has  most  shoes  to  his 
credit. 

Parks  in  Japan  teem  with  children  playing  lame  chicken. 
(Christian  Herald.    Used  by  permission.) 

Story:  What  Happened  When  Tada  Obeyed. 

The  people  who  live  in  Japan — far  away  across  the  ocean, 
tell  their  children  a  great  many  lovely  stories,  and  you  are 
going  to  hear  one  of  them  now.  It  is  about  an  old  grandfather 
whose  name  was  Hamaguchi  and  his  little  grandson,  Tada. 
Hamaguchi  and  Tada  lived  together  in  a  little  Japanese  house 
on  the  top  of  a  high,  steep  mountain  of  rock.  If  they  looked 
over  the  edge  of  the  rock  they  saw  a  sandy  beach  and  the  great 
ocean.  They  saw  little  houses  like  their  own,  built  on  the  sand, 
and  people  moving  about  in  gay  kimonos.  They  could  see  the 
children  playing  in  the  sand.  If  they  turned  and  looked  the 
other  way,  they  saw  little  gardens  where  rice  was  growing, 
for  the  people  who  lived  on  the  sand  came  up  to  the  top  of  the 
mountain  of  rock  to  plant  their  gardens.  Of  course  they  could 
not  make  gardens  in  the  sand  that  is  washed  by  the  salt  sea. 
When  the  people  went  up  to  visit  Hamaguchi  and  Tada  and  to 
take  care  of  their  gardens  they  climbed  up  steps  that  they  had 
cut  in  the  rock. 

The  waves  ran  up  on  the  shore,  and  then  out  again,  as  waves 
do,  and  some  were  little  and  slow,  and  some  of  them  were  big, 
and  came  way  up,  so  that  the  people  had  to  run !  Then  some- 
times there  comes  a  wave  so  strong  and  big  that  it  strikes 
the  mountain  of  rock  and  washes  away  the  little  houses  as  it 
goes  out  again.  These  terrible  waves  are  called  tidal  waves, 
and  it  is  about  one  of  them  that  I  am  going  to  tell  you.  Some- 
times these  tidal  waves  do  not  come  for  years  and  years,  and 
the  people  forget,  and  do  not  think  of  them  at  all.  They  build 
their  houses  on  the  sand,  and  when  Tada  was  a  little  boy 


258     A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

Hamaguchi  was  the  only  person  old  enough  to  remember  a 
tidal  wave. 

One  day,  when  the  rice  was  ripe  and  ready  to  cut,  Hama- 
guchi stood  looking  down  at  the  pretty  beach  and  the  people 
in  their  red  and  blue  kimonos,  the  mothers  carrying  their  dear 
little  babies  on  their  backs,  and  the  children  playing  in  the 
sand.  Then  he  raised  his  eyes  and  looked  off  across  the  water 
to  the  place  where  the  sky  and  the  water  seemed  to  come  to- 
gether, and  he  saw  a  great  tidal  wave  rising  higher  and  higher ! 
He  saw  it  coming  nearer  and  nearer  and  growing  bigger  and 
bigger.  He  looked  down  at  the  people  so  busy  and  gay,  and  he 
knew  that  when  the  wave  came  it  would  wash  away  the  little 
houses  and  the  people  too  unless  he  could  save  them. 

"Tada!  Tada!"  called  Hamaguchi,  and  little  Tada  came 
running  to  his  grandfather.  "Light  a  torch !  and  bring  it  to 
me!"  said  Hamaguchi,  and  Tada  ran  and  lighted  the  end  of 
a  pine  stick  at  the  little  fire  in  their  kitchen  and  brought  it  to 
Hamaguchi.  Then  they  ran  to  the  rice  gardens  and  Tada  saw 
his  grandfather  set  fire  to  the  rice !  The  rice  that  the  people 
would  need  so  much,  to  eat  when  the  winter  came !  The  rice 
was  dry  and  it  caught  at  once  and  the  people  down  on  the 
beach  could  see  the  smoke  and  flames. 

Tada  cried  and  was  frightened.  "Why  do  you  burn  the 
good  rice,  O,  why  do  you?"  he  asked,  but  Hamaguchi  was 
looking  way  out  on  the  water,  shading  his  eyes  with  his  hand, 
and  did  not  answer. 

Then  Tada  looked  down  and  saw  that  the  people  were  climb- 
ing up  the  steps  cut  in  the  stone.  Up,  and  up  they  came,  and 
everybody  was  coming  to  try  to  put  the  fire  out.  They  were 
sorry  and  worried,  for  their  good  rice  was  burning !  The  whole 
village  was  coming !  Even  the  old,  old  grandmothers  and  the 
mothers  with  babies  on  their  backs  were  climbing  up.  Then 
everyone  from  the  village  stood  on  top  of  the  mountain,  look- 
ing sadly  at  the  fire.     Tada  was  still  crying,  and  Hamaguchi 


AN  OBEDIENT  CHILD  259 

said,  "Is  everybody  here?"  "Yes,"  they  said,  "but  why  did 
you  set  fire  to  our  rice?"  Then  Hamaguchi  pointed  to  the 
ocean.  The  great  wave  was  rolling  in,  and  it  was  quite  near 
now.  As  they  watched  it,  it  rushed  up  on  the  beach  with  a 
noise  like  thunder,  and  struck  against  the  mountain  of  stone. 
When  the  wave  ran  out,  every  one  of  the  little  houses  was 
washed  away !  The  people  looked  down  and  there  was  nothing 
but  sand — just  a  sandy  beach,  where  their  homes  had  been! 
How  they  stared ! 

Then  Hamaguchi  said,  "That  was  why  I  set  fire  to  your 
rice.  So  that  you  would  come  up  here  and  be  safe."  Then 
Tada  ran  to  his  grandfather  and  took  his  hand.  "Tada  lighted 
the  torch  quickly  when  I  told  him  to,  for  I  am  too  lame  to  run 
as  fast  as  he  can." 

How  glad  Tada  was !  for  every  one  was  safe,  and  the  people 
were  glad  too,  and  they  thanked  Hamaguchi  and  Tada  again 
and  again. 

(Adapted  from  "Gleanings  in  Buddha-Fields,"  by  Laf- 

cadio   Hearn.      Houghton   Mifflin   Company,   Boston. 

Used  by  permission.) 

Activity : 

Finish  writing  the  memory  work  in  the  books  made  for  the 
purpose.  To-day  the  books  may  be  taken  home.  Plan  an 
indoor  picnic  for  the  review  lesson.  It  will  be  a  game  of  make 
believe,  except  for  the  food,  which  is,  after  all,  the  main  fea- 
ture of  all  picnics.  The  children  may  each  bring  a  few  crack- 
ers or  an  apple  or  you  may  provide  crackers  and  raisins,  or 
an  orange  to  quarter  and  serve.  If  edibles  are  thought  to  be 
undesirable,  make  baskets  after  the  directions  given  in  Lesson 
XII.    Cut  pictures  of  fruit  and  candy  from  advertisements. 

Service  of  Worship : 

Hymn  :     O  Come  and  Let  Us  Worship. 


260    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

Scripture  Reading  :  The  Memory  Work  learned  in  Feb- 
ruary and  the  work  done  with  these  obedience  lessons,  repeated 
by  the  children. 

Prayer  :     The  children's  prayer — the  Lord's  Prayer. 

Hymn  :     Father,   We  Thank  Thee. 

Benediction:  Repeat  "Gentle  Child  of  Nazareth"  to- 
gether. 

A  Picnic 

(Boys  and  girls  walking.    Boys  carry  boxes  and  baskets 
for  girls.) 

Jack  :  What  a  fine  oak  tree !  That  is  just  the  place  for  a 
picnic. 

Mary:     So  near  the  spring  too. 

Elsie  :     See  these  lovely  ferns. 

Will:  These  rocks  are  just  what  we  want  for  the  fire- 
place. 

Helen  (clapping  her  hands)  :  Just  look  up  there  on  that 
hill  at  the  cream  cups  and  baby-blue-eyes. 

All:     Let's  stay  right  here. 

Tom  :  Come  on,  boys.  We'll  bring  wood  and  make  the 
fire  while  the  girls  spread  the  table. 

All  the  Boys  :     All  right,  Captain  Tom. 

(All  work  at  various  tasks.) 

Elsie:  Lunch  is  ready!  Find  your  places.  Please  start 
the  sandwiches,  Lucy,  while  I  pour  the  lemonade. 

Will:  What  delicious  salad  this  is!  Your  mother  is  a 
good  cook,  Mary. 

Bob  :     These  sandwiches  are  fine  too. 


AN  OBEDIENT  CHILD  261 

Helen  :     Please  pass  the  cake,  Jack.     Thank  you. 
(All  eat  and  pass  the  things,  using  as  they  do  so  various 
polite  phrases.) 

Mary  :  Goodness  me,  but  haven't  we  had  a  fine  lunch ! 
Now,  let's  play  games. 

Will:     Good!    What  shall  we  play? 

Tom  :  No  games  until  we  have  picked  up  orange  peels  and 
tin  cans,  burned  all  these  soiled  papers,  put  out  the  fire,  and 
left  this  spot  as  beautiful  as  we  found  it. 

Helen  :     Hurrah  for  Tom !    We'll  all  help. 

(All  pick  up  scraps,  etc.) 

All  :     Now  are  you  satisfied,  Captain  Tom  ? 

Tom  :  Yes,  indeed.  This  lovely  place  is  all  ready  for  an- 
other picnic  party. 

All  :     I  hope  they'll  have  as  good  a  time  as  we  had. 

(Reprinted  by  permission  from  "Training  in  Courtesy," 
Bulletin,  191 7,  No.  54.  Department  of  the  Interior, 
Bureau  of  Education,  Washington,  D.  C.) 

Additional  Stories:  1.  "The  Lame  Boy,"  in  First  Book  of 
Religion,  by  Mrs.  Charles  A.  Lane.  2.  "The  Little  Cowherd 
Brother,"  in  Story-telling  in  the  Home  and  School,  by  E.  N. 
and  G.  E.  Partridge.  3.  "The  Sailor  Man,"  The  Golden  Win- 
dows, by  Laura  E.  Richards.  4.  "The  Plate  of  Pancakes," 
"The  Lions  in  the  Way,"  "The  Little  Shepherd,"  The  Story- 
Teller,  by  Maud  Lindsay.  5.  "Wishing  Wishes,"  More 
Mother  Stories,  by  Maud  Lindsay.  6.  "The  Disobedient 
Ducklings,"  Story-Telling  Time,  by  Frances  Weld  Danielson. 


LESSON  XLVIII 
REVIEW 

Make  believe  that  you  are  going  on  a  picnic  and  will  need 
to  take  the  street  car  to  the  picnic  grounds.  Use  the  drama- 
tization in  Lesson  XLVI.  The  conductor  may  call,  "All  out 
for  the  picnic  grounds."  Leave  the  car,  carrying  baskets  and 
wraps. 

"A  Picnic,"  another  little  play  with  a  definite  purpose,  is 
given  here  and  will  provide  you  with  ideas,  even  though  you 
do  not  carry  it  out  in  detail. 

After  the  lunch  has  been  disposed  of  play  ring  games  or 
"Lame  Chicken."  Allow  the  children  to  call  for  their  favor- 
ites among  these  stories  on  obedience,  and  tell  at  least  two 
of  them. 

Count  the  number  of  times  the  children  have  obeyed  to-day, 
and  make  it  clear  that  because  they  were  obedient  the  picnic 
was  a  success. 

A  Talk: 

Have  you  done  anything  to-day  because  you  love  your 
neighbor?  Did  you  do  anything  for  the  sake  of  the  people 
whom  you  have  never  seen?  (For  example,  making  the  place 
neat  for  the  next  picnic  party.)  Why  may  we  not  ride  on  the 
platform?  Why  do  we  see  signs  that  say  "Spitting  is  for- 
bidden," "Smoking  is  forbidden"?  It  is  all  a  part  of  loving 
our  neighbors,  isn't  it? 

Now,  if  you  will  listen,  you  will  hear  a  sound  that  you  can 
obey. 

The  Chimes. 

Service  of  Worship : 

Use  the  service  arranged  for  Lesson  XLVII,  selecting  other 
hymns  perhaps  and  making  any  changes  that  you  like. 
262 


VII.    WONDER  AND  WORSHIP 

XLIX.  A  Wonderful  Journey  to  Jerusalem. 

L.  The  Story  of  Easter. 

LI.  The  Flowers  Appear  on  the  Earth. 

LII.  The  Time  of  the  Singing  of  Birds. 

LIII.  God's  Trees. 

LIV.  When  We  Pray. 

LV.  The  Wonderful  World. 

LVI.  Review. 

Because  I  live,  ye  shall  live  also. — John  14.  19. 

The  Memory  Work: 
"Praise  ye  Jehovah. 

Praise  ye  him,  sun  and  moon : 
Praise  him,  all  ye  stars  of  light. 

Mountains  and  all  hills ; 
Fruitful  trees  and  all  cedars; 
Beasts  and  all  cattle; 
Creeping  things  and  flying  birds ; 
Kings  of  the  earth  and  all  peoples ; 

His  glory  is  above  the  earth  and  the  heavens. 

Praise  ye  Jehovah." — Psalm  148. 


LESSON  XLIX 
A  WONDERFUL  JOURNEY  TO  JERUSALEM 

The  April  lessons  should  be  taught  out  of  doors,  for  won- 
derful things  are  happening  because  spring  is  here.  The  les- 
sons are  arranged  so  that  half  of  the  hour  can  be  spent  in  the 
open  air,  and  also  there  are  plans  for  the  classroom. 

Since  Easter  is  a  movable  feast,  you  will  need  to  study  the 
lessons  well  in  advance  and  rearrange  them  according  to  the 
church  calendar. 

If  it  is  possible,  give  the  children  the  experience  of  digging 
and  planting.  "To  own  a  bit  of  ground,  to  scratch  it  with  a 
hoe,  to  plant  seeds  and  watch  their  renewal  of  life — this  is  the 
commonest  delight  of  the  race,  the  most  satisfactory  thing 
one  can  do"  (Charles  Dudley  Warner). 

If  you  are  a  lover  of  gardens,  you  will  see  an  opportunity  in 
a  narrow  strip  of  unpaved  ground  beside  a  wall  or  close  to  a 
building.  Perhaps  there  is  a  space  where  a  vine  can  be  planted 
against  the  building,  or  a  corner  where  they  will  allow  you  to 
plant  shrubs.  There  are  places  in  the  courtyards  of  many 
schools  and  churches  that  need  attention  of  some  sort,  and 
many  a  space  where  a  bed  2x8  or  10  feet  would  improve  mat- 
ters very  much. 

Such  a  bed  seeded  with  zinias  or  some  other  coarse,  bright 
flower  would  be  a  delight  to  many  all  summer.  Also  you  will 
need  a  good  site  for  planting  a  tree. 

For  to-day  meet  the  children  in  the  courtyard  and  tell  them 
of  these  plans.  Cut  willow  wands  and  start  them  in  water 
in  the  classroom.  Later  you  may  want  to  plant  those  that 
have  sprouted  well,  for  a  group  of  willow  saplings  can  be 
planted  in  the  grass  where  you  may  not  cut  the  sod. 

Buy  the  seeds  that  you  have  decided  to  plant  or  call  upon  a 
265 


266    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

neighbor  previously  consulted  who  will  give  you  seeds  and 
slips.  People  are  glad  to  cooperate,  and  we  do  not  include 
them  in  our  projects  often  enough. 

A  plan  for  the  classroom :  Write  a  letter  to  a  teacher  in  the 
country  enclosing  postage  and  ask  her  to  let  her  class  send  you 
willow  wands  and  horse  chestnut  twigs  to  grow  in  water. 
Make  Easter  cards  for  friends,  using  the  crocus  design  given 
here.  It  can  be  cut  from  paper  or  drawn  and  then  colored. 
If  the  flowers  are  cut,  use  colored  paper  and  mount  on  cards. 
Write  an  Easter  message  above  the  flowers  and  let  the  children 
take  the  cards  home. 

Service  of  Worship:     The  Chimes. 

Hymn:  March  to  the  chairs  singing,  "Onward,  Christian 
Soldiers !" 

Story  :     A  Wonderful  Journey  to  Jerusalem. 

It  was  springtime  in  Palestine,  the  country  where  Jesus  lived, 
and  the  olive  trees  were  covered  with  little  new  gray  buds. 
The  redbirds  and  bluebirds  were  building  their  new  nests, 
and  in  the  pastures  new  fresh  grass  was  beginning  to  show. 
Jesus  and  his  friends  started  on  a  journey  in  the  fresh  spring 
air.  They  were  going  to  Jerusalem,  to  the  celebration  to  which 
Jesus  had  gone  for  the  first  time  when  he  was  twelve  years  old. 

A  great  many  people  had  seen  Jesus,  and  everyone  who  had 
heard  of  the  wonderful  things  that  he  did  wanted  to  see  him, 
so  the  people  crowded  around  him.  As  Jesus  walked  down  the 
road,  mothers  brought  their  babies  to  him,  and  he  took  them 
in  his  arms  and  blessed  them.  Jesus  loved  every  child  in  the 
world,  and  it  made  him  happy  to  hold  these  little  ones  and  to 
talk  to  them,  but  his  friends  did  not  understand.  They  thought 
that  Jesus  was  too  tired  and  that  the  children  bothered  him. 
They  shook  their  heads  and  told  the  mothers  to  take  the  chil- 
dren away,  but  Jesus  said,  "Suffer  the  little  children,  and  for- 


A  WONDERFUL  JOURNEY  TO  JERUSALEM     267 

bid  them  not,  to  come  unto  me:  for  to  such  belongeth  the 
kingdom  of  heaven." 

When  the  happy  children  went  with  their  mothers  to  their 
homes  again,  Jesus  went  on  toward  Jerusalem,  and  as  he  went 
ten  men  who  were  terribly  ill  came  near  and  called  to  Jesus. 
They  did  not  come  close  because  the  disease  that  they  had 
other  people  could  take.  They  stood  afar  off  and  called, 
"Jesus,  have  mercy  on  us!"  When  Jesus  saw  how  ill  they 
were,  he  said,  "Go  to  the  priests."  In  those  days  when  people 
had  been  ill  with  diseases  that  other  people  could  take  from 
them  they  went  to  the  priests  when  they  got  well  for  permission 
to  go  back  to  their  work,  and  to  be  with  other  people  again. 

The  sick  men  obeyed  Jesus  at  once.  They  turned  imme- 
diately and  went  toward  the  church,  but  they  did  not  know 
why;  they  were  still  weak  and  ill.  Then  a  wonderful  thing 
came  to  pass.  As  they  walked  the  sick  men  began  to  feel 
better  and  soon  they  were  well! 

(Tell  the  story  of  the  blind  man — Lesson  XIV.) 

Yes,  there  were  great  crowds  on  the  roads  on  those  lovely 
spring  days.  There  was  a  man  named  Zacchseus  who  wanted 
to  see  Jesus.  But  he  was  a  small  man,  and  the  tall  people 
crowded  in  front  of  him.  Zacchaeus  ran  and  climbed  into  the 
branches  of  a  tree  by  the  roadside.  He  looked  down  and  saw 
Jesus  walking  with  his  friends  and  the  people  crowding  close 
to  him.  Jesus  looked  up  into  the  tree,  and  when  he  saw  Zac- 
chseus he  said,  "Come  down,  for  to-day  I  need  to  rest  in  your 
house."  Zacchaeus  was  very  happy.  He  climbed  down  from 
his  place  in  the  tree  and  took  Jesus  joyfully  to  his  house. 
Everyone  was  surprised,  for  they  did  not  like  Zacchaeus,  and 
many  of  the  people  thought  that  he  did  wrong  things.  But 
Jesus  wanted  to  talk  with  Zacchaeus  and  help  him  to  under- 
stand about  being  good,  for  that  was  Jesus'  work,  and  it  was 
what  the  heavenly  Father  sent  him  to  live  in  the  world  to  do. 

In  the  morning  Jesus  and  his  friends  started  again  to  walk 


268    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

to  Jerusalem,  and  the  people  in  the  city  wondered  when  Jesus 
would  come.  Some  of  them  said,  "Let  us  go  out  of  the  city 
gates  to  meet  him!"  So  they  went  out  through  the  gates,  and 
the  children  went  too.  They  carried  palm  leaves  to  wave  as 
we  wave  flags  when  we  are  glad.  They  sang  and  were  happy. 
The  children  sang,  "Hosanna;  Blessed  is  he  that  cometh  in 
the  name  of  the  Lord!" 

When  Jesus  came,  and  the  people  saw  him,  he  was  riding  on 
a  colt.  It  had  been  loaned  to  him,  and  his  friends  had  put 
their  cloaks  on  the  colt's  back  for  a  saddle.  The  people  shouted 
and  sang  and  called  his  name  when  they  saw  Jesus,  for  many 
of  them  knew  him  and  loved  him.  He  had  made  some  of  them 
well  and  he  had  blessed  their  little  children. 

And  so  Jesus  came  to  Jerusalem,  and  went  to  the  beautiful 
Temple,  to  the  service  of  celebration,  as  he  did  when  he  was 
twelve  and  went  with  Mary  and  Joseph. 

Hymn  :  Fair  Are  the  Meadows  (A  First  Book  in  Hymns 
and  Worship,  No.  41). 

"Fair  are  the  meadows; 
Fairer  still  the  woodlands, 

Robed  in  the  blooming  garb  of  spring; 
Our  God  is  fairer, 
Our  God  is  purer, 

And  unto  him  the  children  sing. 

"Fair  is  the  sunshine; 
Fairer  still  the  moonlight, 

And  all  the  twinkling  stars  on  high ; 
Our  God  shines  brighter; 
Our  God  shines  purer 

Than  all  the  glory  of  the  sky." 

Prayer:  Heavenly  Father,  help  us  to  think  of  Jesus  when 
we  see  flowers  and  hear  birds  sing.  Let  them  remind  us  of  him, 
for  we  are  going  to  live  with  him  forever  in  heaven.    Amen. 


A  WONDERFUL  JOURNEY  TO  JERUSALEM     269 

Scripture  Reading: 

"Praise  ye  Jehovah. 
Praise  ye  Jehovah  from  the  heavens : 
Praise  him  in  the  heights. 


Praise  ye  him,  sun  and  moon : 
Praise  him,  all  ye  stars  of  light. 


Mountains  and  all  hills; 
Fruitful  trees  and  all  cedars; 
Beasts  and  all  cattle; 
Creeping  things  and  flying  birds ; 
Kings  of  the  earth  and  all  peoples; 


Let  them  praise  the  name  of  Jehovah; 

His  glory  is  above  the  earth  and  the  heavens. 

Praise  ye  Jehovah." — Psalm  148. 

Note:  This  selection  of  beautiful  and  interesting  calls  to 
praise  from  Psalm  148  need  not  be  explained.  Answer  any 
questions  and  leave  the  rest  to  make  an  impression  of  the  great- 
ness of  God.    If  it  is  too  difficult  omit  a  part  of  it. 

Hymn  :     All  Things  Bright  and  Beautiful. 

Benediction  :  May  the  blessings  of  the  heavenly  Father 
be  upon  us  and  all  children  forever  and  ever.    Amen. 

Note:  You  will  want  to  use  some  of  the  offering  for  seeds 
and  plants,  and  these  things  interest  the  children  so  much  that 
it  will  delight  them  to  plan  for  their  spring  work. 

Recall  some  of  the  interesting  things  that  have  been  done  with 
the  children's  money  and  encourage  them  to  continue  to  give. 
The  April  mite  box  may  be  brought  out. 


270    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 


LESSON  L 
THE  LESSON  OF  EASTER 

Meet  the  children  in  the  yard  and  do  all  that  you  can  about 
your  planting  project.  Call  at  the  house  of  your  garden  sym- 
pathizer for  seeds  that  have  been  promised,  or  dig  your  space 
up  ready  for  planting.  If  you  love  gardens,  many  plans  will 
suggest  themselves  to  you,  and  your  ideas  will  be  the  ones 
for  you  to  carry  out,  as  the  conditions  in  which  you  are  work- 
ing differ  from  the  conditions  of  others  in  many  respects,  no 
doubt,  and  you  know  your  own  advantages  and  disadvantages. 
Show  the  children  how  to  stake  out  the  bed,  if  you  are  going 
to  plant  flowers,  and  let  them  help  break  up  the  soil.  If  the 
bed  is  ready,  plant  the  seeds.  Sow  them  thick,  so  that  you 
will  have  a  satisfactory  spot  of  color  later  on.  Or  go  to  the 
woods  and  let  each  child  bring  home  a  plant  to  put  in  the  bed 
and  care  for.  Visit  a  class  of  older  children  and  tell  them  of 
your  plan  for  planting  a  tree.  Ask  them  to  come  to  your 
class  and  help  the  children  to  make  a  bird  house  to  put  in  their 
tree.  Ask  them  to  let  you  know  what  material  will  be  needed. 
Arrange  this  with  the  teacher  and  invite  her  class  to  join  yours 
when  you  teach  Lesson  LII.  Suggest  combining  classes  on 
that  day,  and  also  for  the  tree-planting  planned  for  Lesson 
LIII. 

If  you  make  the  path  or  walk  untidy  with  your  digging, 
send  the  children  for  their  brooms  and  make  it  neat  again. 

A  Plan  for  the  Classroom: 

Work  again  on  Easter  cards.     Make  butterflies.     One  way 
would  be  to  use  tinted  or  colored  paper  (yellow  and  blue  are 
best),  and  the  white  butterflies  are  lovely.     Fold  the  paper 
271 


2-J2    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

and  draw  as  shown  in  the  diagram  (the  dotted  line  indicates 
the  fold).  Cut  on  the  lines  drawn,  and  open.  Indicate  the 
markings  with  ink  and  small  brushes  or  pens,  or  with  water 
color,  on  one  wing,  and  fold  over  before  the  paint  or  ink  is  dry. 
This  will  make  the  wings  nearly  enough  alike  to  be  very  real. 
Bring  a  butterfly  book  from  home  or  one  taken  from  the 


library.  Show  the  colored  plates  to  the  children,  and  if  they 
like,  they  may  copy  the  markings  with  paints  or  crayons.  Two 
small  black  pins  placed  in  the  head  of  a  paper  butterfly  with 
which  to  pin  it  to  the  board  or  on  the  wall  makes  a  very  lifelike 
effect.  The  outlines  given  here  are  a  good  size  and  can  be 
traced  for  patterns.  Let  each  child  take  a  butterfly  home  to 
color  and  mark.  An  Easter  message  may  be  written  on  the 
under  side  of  the  wings  and  they  may  be  used  as  Easter  cards. 
It  would  surprise  the  Sunday  school  to  find  a  dozen  or  more 
of  these  butterflies  of  varying  shapes  and  colors  apparently 
fluttering  over  the  bulletin  board  on  Easter  Sunday. 


THE  LESSON  OF  EASTER  273 

Service  of  Worship : 

The  Chimes: 

Hymn  :  Fair  Are  the  Meadows  (A  First  Book  in  Hymns 
and  Worship,  No.  41). 

Story:     A  Story  of  Easter. 

Two  children  stood  looking  at  the  flowers  in  a  beautiful  gar- 
den. They  often  came  to  look  through  the  gate,  for  they  loved 
to  watch  the  gardener  at  work,  weeding  and  digging  among  the 
lilies.  The  garden  belonged  to  a  man  named  Joseph  of  Arima- 
thaea.  There  were  great  rocks  in  the  garden  and  bright 
flowers  and  pretty  vines  grew  in  the  cracks  and  between  the 
rocks. 

The  children  lived  in  a  little  square  clay  house  by  the  side 
of  the  dusty  road.  They  had  no  garden,  but  they  often  gath- 
ered the  lilies  that  grew  in  the  fields  near  by  and  sometimes  they 
played  at  making  gardens,  and  built  stone  walls  around  them 
like  the  wall  around  the  garden  of  Joseph  of  Arimathsea.  The 
children  came  often  to  look  through  the  gate  in  the  wall. 

To-day  they  went  slowly  in,  hand  in  hand,  for  a  stone-cutter 
was  chipping  away  the  stone  in  a  cave  in  one  of  the  rocks.  He 
chipped  and  the  children  watched,  until  the  cave  was  a  clean 
and  sparkling  place. 

The  children  wondered.  They  wanted  to  ask  the  stone-cutter 
about  it.  The  little,  white,  sparkling  chips  of  stone  lay  on 
the  path  and  on  the  grass.  The  children  came  nearer  and 
picked  them  up.  Their  hands  were  full  of  the  pretty  chips. 
They  could  use  them  in  many  ways  in  their  play. 

But  they  wondered  about  the  little  room  in  the  rock,  and 
one  of  them  said,  "Why  do  you  chip  the  stone?" 

The  stone-cutter  answered,  "The  man  who  owns  this  garden 
wants  this  room  made  beautiful,  for  his  dear  friend  is  very 
tired  and  is  to  rest  here  for  a  while." 


274    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

"Who  is  his  dear  friend?"  asked  one  of  the  children. 

"Jesus  of  Nazareth,  who  went  about  doing  good,"  said  the 
stone-cutter. 

"We  know  Jesus!"  cried  both  children;  and  then  one  said, 
"He  is  my  friend,  too,  for  only  the  other  day  he  stopped  to 
watch  us  play  at  making  gardens,  and  he  took  my  little 
brother  in  his  arms." 

"And  we  saw  him  down  on  the  shore  of  the  lake,"  said  the 
other  child.  "We  were  playing  with  shells  and  he  came,  and 
a  great  many  people  came  with  him.  He  told  stories  and  I 
am  sure  never  to  forget  what  he  said." 

"We  were  glad  when  we  heard  that  he  was  coming  to  Jeru- 
salem, not  many  days  ago,"  said  the  taller  of  the  children,  "for 
we  wanted  to  see  him  again.  A  great  many  people  ran  out 
of  the  city  gates  to  meet  him  and  we  ran  too.  He  came,  riding 
on  a  colt,  and  his  friends  were  with  him.  The  children  crowded 
to  the  roadside  so  that  they  could  see  him.  We  all  sang,  'Ho- 
sanna !  Blessed  is  he  that  cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord !'  We 
waved  branches  of  palm  as  he  passed.  Some  of  the  children 
had  gathered  lilies,  and  these  they  threw  into  the  road  before 
him  to  make  it  more  beautiful.  Every  one  was  glad  to  see  him 
coming.     Is  he  so  tired?" 

"Perhaps,"  said  the  other,  "he  went  to  the  hill  to-day  with 
those  who  carried  crosses.  There  have  been  such  heavy  clouds, 
that  we  could  not  see  for  the  storm  that  was  coming.  Was 
Jesus  with  them,  do  you  think?" 

"Jesus  was  there,"  said  the  stone-cutter,  "and  those  who  did 
not  know  him  nailed  him  to  a  cross.  His  friends  will  soon 
bring  him  here  to  rest  for  a  while  in  this  little  white  room." 
The  stone-cutter  stood  up  and  looked  down  the  road,  shading 
his  eyes  with  his  hand.  "Yes,"  he  said,  "they  are  coming 
now." 

The  children  looked  and  saw  the  loving  friends  of  Jesus 
carry  him  gently  through  the  garden  gate  and  lay  him  in  the 


THE  LESSON  OF  EASTER 


275 


little  room  in  the  rock.  The  children  were  sad,  but  they  were 
sure  that  Jesus  would  rest  in  such  a  beautiful  place.  They  saw 
the  friends  who  had  brought  him  roll  a  great  stone  across  the 
door  of  the  room. 

When  the  stone-cutter  turned  and  saw  the  children  still 
standing  there,  outside  the  gate,  he  said,  "Run,  run  to  your 
home,  little  children,  and  tell  those  who  are  there  that  Jesus 
is  at  rest."  And  the  children  ran  down  the  road  to  their  home 
with  their  hands  full  of  sparkling  chips  of  stone. 

They  thought  often  of  Jesus,  asleep  in  that  quiet  room,  and 
early  on  the  sabbath  day  they  started  very  early,  for  they  were 
going  to  the  garden  to  look  through  the  gate.  When  they 
came  to  the  garden  wall  they  heard  voices,  and  it  surprised 
them  that  there  should  be  people  in  the  garden  so  early.  The 
sun  had  just  risen  and  the  wet  lily  buds  were  not  yet  open. 

As  the  children  looked  through  the  gate  they  saw  a  woman, 
and  at  first  they  thought  that  she  was  speaking  with  the  gar- 
dener, but  no!  it  was  Jesus,  the  friend  of  the  children — Jesus 
of  Nazareth,  who  went  about  doing  good !  Now  the  children 
knew  that  he  was  rested.  They  saw  that  the  great  stone  was 
rolled  away  from  the  door  of  the  room  in  the  rock,  and  they 
looked  in,  but  the  room  was  so  bright  now  that  they  had  to 
close  their  eyes.    It  was  like  looking  at  the  bright  summer  sun. 

"Come!"  said  the  tall  child,  and  they  went  away  very 
quietly,  for  they  did  not  wish  to  disturb  their  Friend,  as  he 
walked  among  the  lily  buds  that  were  just  opening  because 
morning  had  come.  They  went  up  the  road  toward  Jerusa- 
lem, and  they  went  to  the  temple  and  heard  the  ministers 
teaching  the  people.  Late  in  the  afternoon  as  they  were  com- 
ing home  they  met  two  men  walking,  and  Jesus  was  with  them. 

It  was  just  as  the  stone-cutter  had  said.  Jesus  had  rested 
and  now  he  walked  with  his  friends  again.  But  sometimes  he 
was  with  them  when  they  could  not  see  him,  as  he  is  with  us, 
now. 


276    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

One  day  some  of  the  friends  of  Jesus  came  by,  telling  a 
wonderful  thing.  The  people  crowded  around  them  to  hear 
what  they  had  to  tell,  and  the  children  were  with  them.  They 
heard  the  friends  of  Jesus  say,  "We  were  with  him,  and  he 
said,  'Lo,  I  am  with  you  always.'  A  soft  cloud  of  mist  came 
about  him  and  we  saw  him  no  more." 

But  the  people  said,  "If  Jesus  has  gone  from  you  where 
you  cannot  see  him,  why  do  your  eyes  shine,  and  why  are  you 
glad?" 

The  friends  of  Jesus  said,  "He  is  with  us  now,  and  we  will 
be  with  him,   forever." 

The  children  heard  and  were  happy,  for  they  knew  that 
Jesus  was  with  them,  even  to  the  end  of  the  world. 
(From  The  Mayflower.    Used  by  permission.) 

Scripture  Reading:     The  Memory  Work. 

Hymn:  Christ  Is  Risen  (A  First  Book  in  Hymns  and 
Worship,  No.  94). 

Poem  :     The  Lowly  King. 

"Jesus  of  Nazareth,  .  .  .  who  went  about  doing  good." 

"There  was  a  King  in  Nazareth ; 

(Men  did  not  know  he  was  a  King) 
By  humble  ways  he  went  about, 
With  love   for  everything. 

"He  had  no  crown,  but  he  was  kind ; 
He  had  no  throne,  but  he  was  strong ; 
Good  deeds  he  did,  and  loving  words 
He  said,  the  whole  day  long. 

"He  was  a  King,  and  went  again 
Unto  his  kingdom,  but  he  still 
Is  staying  in  our  hearts,  and  we 
Can  serve  him  if  we  will. 


THE  LESSON  OF  EASTER  277 

"By  gentle  thought  and  loving  words 
And  deeds  of  kindness,  day  by  day, 
Our  feet  can  follow  where  he  went, 
Along  the  lowly  way." 

(Nancy  Byrd  Turner.) 
Benediction. 

For  the  Teacher.  One  knows  it  sometimes  when  one  gets  up  at 
the  tender,  solemn  dawn-time  and  goes  out  and  stands  alone  and 
throws  one's  head  far  back  and  looks  up  and  up  and  watches  the 
pale  sky  slowly  changing  and  flushing  and  marvelous  unknown 
things  happening  until  the  east  almost  makes  one  cry  out  and  one's 
heart  stands  still  at  the  strange  unchanging  majesty  of  the  rising 
of  the  sun — which  has  been  happening  every  morning  for  thou- 
sands and  thousands  and  thousands  of  years.  One  knows  it  then 
for  a  moment  or  so.  And  one  knows  it  sometimes  when  one 
stands  by  oneself  in  a  wood  at  sunset  and  the  mysterious  deep 
gold  stillness  slanting  through  and  under  the  branches  seems  to 
be  saying  slowly  again  and  again  something  one  cannot  quite 
hear,  however  much  one  tries. — The  Secret  Garden,  by  Frances 
Hodgson  Burnett. 


LESSON  LI 
THE  FLOWERS  APPEAR  ON  THE  EARTH 

It  may  be  too  early  in  your  climate  for  blossoms  of  any 
sort,  and  yet  we  have  just  had  the  story  of  a  beautiful  garden, 
and  Easter  is  a  time  when  we  see  flowers,  if  only  in  the  shop 
windows.  The  flower  is  one  of  God's  ways  of  telling  us  of 
life  eternal,  for  this  we  will  need,  and  he  has  provided,  seeds 
as  well  as  flowers.  We  are  building  a  faith  in  these  children 
that  will  be  strong  because  it  will  be  upheld  and  strengthened 
by  so  many  of  the  things  that  are  common — things  that  we  see 
often.  We  can  help  the  children  to  see  God  in  the  flowers, 
and  someone  has  interpreted  from  the  Arabic  this :  "Moses 
asked  of  God  where  he  was,  and  God  said,  'Know  that  when 
thou  hast  sought  me  thou  hast  already  found  me.'  " 

Continue  with  the  project  you  have  started  out  of  doors,  or 
take  a  walk  in  the  country  looking  for  buds  or  blossoms.  Take 
a  note  book  and  write  what  the  children  report  that  they  have 
discovered,  and  when  you  return  to  the  classroom,  read  the 
notes  and  see  which  child  has  seen  the  most.  If  you  live  and 
work  in  the  heart  of  a  city,  walk  to  a  florist's  and  count  the 
flowers  in  the  window. 

A  Plan  for  the  Classroom: 

Study  the  colored  plates  in  a  flower  book.  Draw  and  color 
a  flower  and  as  you  work  repeat  flower  verses  and  songs 
learned  by  the  children  in  school  and  Sunday  school.  Outline 
drawings  of  "the  lilies  of  the  field"  are  published  with  the  sup- 
plemental material  for  use  with  A  First  Primary  Book  in  Re- 
278 


THE  FLOWERS  APPEAR  ON  THE  EARTH     279 

ligion  and  can  be  colored.    Or  trace  the  outline  drawing  given 
with  this  lesson  for  each  child  to  color. 

Service  of  Worship: 

When  the  chimes  are  heard,  go  to  the  circle  of  chairs  for 
the  service. 

Hymn:  Christ  Is  Risen  (A  First  Book  in  Hymns  and 
Worship,  No.  94). 

Story:     A  Boy  Who  Wondered  and  Found  Out. 

Here  is  another  story  about  Japan,  the  country  where  Hama- 
guchi  and  Tada  lived.  The  boy  in  this  story  was  Neesima. 
One  day  Neesima  was  alone  in  the  house  where  he  lived,  for 
his  mother  and  father  had  gone  to  the  temple  to  pray  to  a 
great  idol.  Neesima  stood  in  the  kitchen  looking  at  a  row  of 
idols  on  the  shelf.  They  were  very  ugly  to  look  at  and  they 
were  carved  from  wood  and  painted  as  some  of  our  toys  are 
made.  One  of  them  was  the  kitchen  god.  Neesima's  father 
had  taught  him  to  bow  before  the  kitchen  god,  and  to  bring 
it  rice  and  tea.  Neesima  had  been  told  that  if  he  forgot  to 
bring  food  to  the  idol  he  would  be  hungry  himself,  so  he 
never  forgot. 

When  Neesima  put  the  rice  into  the  hand  of  the  kitchen  god 
he  found  the  hard  little  grain  of  rice  that  he  had  put  there  the 
day  before.  He  remembered  that  he  always  found  the  rice 
that  he  had  put  there  just  as  he  had  left  it,  and  he  wondered! 
How  could  the  kitchen  god  eat?  Neesima  had  never  seen  it 
move  so  much  as  its  little  wooden  hand.  He  knew  that  it  was 
whittled  from  wood,  and  he  had  stood  and  watched  the  idol- 
maker  across  the  street  make  a  great  many  kitchen  gods  and 
sell  them.  Neesima  wished  with  all  his  heart  that  he  really 
knew  about  these  strange  things,  and  then  he  thought  of  a  way 
of  finding  out.  "I  will  put  the  idol  in  the  ground,  and  if  it 
really  is  a  god  it  will  not  stay  there,"  he  said.     It  frightened 


280    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

Neesima  a  little  to  think  of  doing  this.  He  thought  of  his 
mother  and  father  in  the  temple,  praying  to  the  great  idol  that 
always  seemed  to  be  asleep,  although  everyone  who  went  to 
the  temple  to  pray  paid  to  have  bells  rung  to  waken  it.  Nee- 
sima wondered  about  that  too.    Why  was  it  ? 

Neesima  lifted  the  kitchen  god  from  the  shelf  and  carried 
it  into  the  garden.  He  dug  a  shallow  hole  in  the  soft  earth 
and  laid  the  kitchen  god  in  it.  Then  he  covered  it  with  earth 
and  patted  the  place  smooth  with  his  hands. 

For  a  week  he  watched  the  place,  but  nothing  happened. 
Then  one  morning  when  he  ran  out  to  look,  he  found  a  little 
green  shoot  like  a  blade  of  new  grass  just  showing  above  the 
ground.  Neesima  was  excited.  "I  wonder  if  the  kitchen  god 
has  done  this !"  he  thought.  He  dug  the  earth  away  with  his 
hands  and  there,  just  where  he  had  put  it  was  the  kitchen  god. 
It  had  not  changed  a  bit.  But  one  of  the  grains  of  rice  that 
Neesima  had  put  in  its  hand  had  sprouted!  It  was  pushing 
up  to  catch  the  sunshine.  Soon  there  would  be  a  tiny  flower 
on  it !  How  wonderful !  The  little  hard  white  grain  of  rice 
had  life!  "Now  I  know!"  said  Neesima.  "The  kitchen  god 
did  not  have  life,  but  the  rice  did.  Who  gave  the  rice  its  life  ?" 
Neesima  wondered  and  wondered. 

And  then  a  great  and  wonderful  thing  happened  to  Neesima. 
He  was  sent  to  school.  It  was  one  of  the  schools  that  our 
missionaries  have  in  those  far-away  lands  where  the  children 
wonder  about  the  beautiful  things  in  God's  world.  That  is 
where  the  wondering  children  find  out  what  they  want  to 
know.  Neesima  very  soon  learned  to  read,  and  then  a  beauti- 
ful book  was  given  to  him.  It  was  the  Holy  Bible !  We  could 
not  have  read  it,  for  it  was  printed  in  Japanese  letters  that  we 
would  not  understand.  But  Neesima  opened  it  and  read  the 
very  first  words.  He  read,  "In  the  beginning  God  created  the 
heavens  and  the  earth."  Then  Neesima  knew !  He  had  found 
out.    It  was  God,  the  heavenly  Father,  who  had  made  heaven 


THE  FLOWERS  APPEAR  ON  THE  EARTH    281 


and  earth,  who  gave  the  rice  its  life.  Of  course  the  old  idol- 
maker  could  not  put  life  into  the  idols  he  whittled!  But  God 
had  put  life  into  the  idol-maker!  Neesima  looked  out  at  the 
blue  sky  and  the  green  grass.  He  saw  cherry  trees  covered 
with  bright  pink  flowers.  "God  made  all  of  these  things,  and 
he  made  me!"  Neesima  had  found  out  the  things  that  he 
wanted  to  know. 


'V.  fy 

I  '* 

'  if 

M 

it 


L 


These  are  the  words  that  Neesima 
read  in  his  Bible.  It  is  a  language 
which  we  cannot  understand.  We 
cannot  read  it  or  speak  it.  But  the 
heavenly  Father  understands  every- 
thing that  his  children  say  to  him,  no 
matter  where  they  live  or  how  they 
speak. 

Show  the  Japanese  characters  to  the 
children.  Show  them  a  globe  and 
point  to  your  home  and  to  Japan.  Re- 
peat the  words  that  Neesima  read  and 
point  to  the  seas  and  to  the  land,  mar- 
veling that  God  made  it  all.  Mention 
flowers,  fruits,  and  trees,  and  point  to 
the  places  where  they  grow. 


Prayer : 

Hymn  :     Fair  Are  the  Meadows. 

Scripture  Reading  :     The  Memory  Work. 


282    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

Hymn  :     Christ  Is  Risen. 

"Hear  the  joy-bells  ringing,  ringing, 
In  the  far-off  towers  swinging, 
Hear  the  children's  voices  singing, 

Refrain 
'Christ  is  risen !    Christ  is  risen !' 
Hallelujah !    Christ  is  risen !' 

"Far  and  near  the  chimes  are  telling, 
On  each  word  the  sweet  tones  dwelling, 
Soft  and  low,  then  loudly  swelling. 

Refrain 
"Easter  morn  is  saying,  saying, 
While  its  chimes  are  softly  playing, 
And  all  hearts  with  joy  are  praying." 
Refrain 

(Mary  L.  Butler.) 
Benediction. 

For  the  Teacher:  Here  is  a  picture  of  Palestine  in  spring- 
time painted  for  us  by  Mrs.  Gaskoin :  "A  flush  of  rich  color, 
bathing  the  generally  gray  monotony  in  bloom.  .  .  .  Sweet  as 
the  first  flowers  of  our  own  woods  and  meadows  are,  the  tints 
of  most  of  them  are  somewhat  pale  and  delicate,  whereas  in 
Palestine  the  fields  are  transfigured,  after  the  sudden  impetu- 
ous rains  of  the  early  spring,  by  what  looks  like  a  flood  of 
living  fire.  For  scarlet  is  the  prevailing  color  of  the  flowers. 
There,  indeed,  bloom  blue  scillas,  white  narcissus,  purple 
stocks,  golden  marigolds,  and  pink  phlox,  besides  white  and 
pink  and  yellow  rock-roses,  and  many  other  fair  blossoms. 
But,  from  a  distance,  the  varying  tints  of  these  are  thrown 
into  comparative  shade  by  the  mantle  of  burning  scarlet  which 
the  sudden  spring  flings  down  upon  the  Holy  Land.  Not  only 
scarlet  poppies  but  scarlet  tulips,  scarlet  lilies,  scarlet  anemones, 
which  we  cultivate  as  choice  flowers  in  our  English  gardens, 


THE  FLOWERS  APPEAR  ON  THE  EARTH     283 

there  glow  in  careless,  untended  profusion.  And  over  their 
beauty  butterflies  gayly  flutter,  while  the  yellow  wagtail  and 
other  birds  plume  themselves  in  the  genial  sunshine." 

(Mrs.  Herman  Gaskoin.) 


Artist — Marjorie  Clarke. 


LESSON  LII 
THE  TIME  OF  THE  SINGING  OF  BIRDS 

Let  this  lesson  be  full  of  music.  We  understand  too  little 
the  meaning  of  praise.  When  the  world  was  young,  man 
did  not  know  that  he  needed  words.  Then  words  came,  with 
companionship,  and  when  he  began  to  wonder  and  to  seek  for 
God,  he  added  song,  for  there  were  too  few  words  to  express 
his  feeling. 

Ever  since  that  long-ago  time  singing  has  been  our  way  of 
expressing  our  deepest  joys  and  sorrows  and  our  blessed  faith. 
Forget,  if  you  are  musical,  that  the  children's  voices  are  un- 
trained. Do  not  urge  them  to  sing  louder,  but  help  them 
through  your  attitude,  and  the  joyous  things  that  you  have  to 
tell,  truly  to  praise  God. 

If  your  garden  is  planted  and  it  does  not  rain,  water  it  with 
the  help  of  the  children.  If  you  are  so  situated  that  you  can, 
go  to  the  real  country  for  an  hour,  away  from  street  and  city 
sounds,  and  listen  for  nature  sounds.  Stand  still  and  listen. 
"Be  still  and  know  that  I  am  God."  Note  the  sounds  as  they 
untangle  and  then  sing  a  hymn — one  of  the  hymns  of  praise 
learned  with  these  lessons  of  wonder.  Play  several  ring  and 
singing  games,  and  stay  for  your  service  of  worship.  Or,  if 
it  is  too  cool,  return  to  the  classroom.  Bring  buds  and  blos- 
soms, sprays  of  new  leaves,  a  last  year's  nest  or  any  other  ob- 
ject lessons  found  and  valued  by  the  children.  Even  though 
you  return  for  the  service,  repeat  the  memory  work  in  the 
open  and  recall  the  first  words  of  the  Bible — the  words  that 
Neesima  read  with  so  much  joy — as  you  regard  with  seeing 
eyes  the  heavens  and  the  earth. 

284 


THE  TIME  OF  THE  SINGING  OF  BIRDS      285 

A  Plan  for  the  Classroom : 

Form  a  circle  and  play  singing  games.  March  to  music,  on 
tiptoe  when  the  music  is  soft,  and  with  a  firm  tread  when  the 
music  is  more  vigorous.  You  may  be  able  to  borrow  a  number 
of  bird  charts  from  a  kindergarten  or  library.  When  the  chil- 
dren go  to  the  table  have  several  illustrated  bird  books  lying 
there  for  them  to  examine.  The  colored  plates  will  delight 
them  and  you  may  add  to  their  pleasure  by  going  around  the 
table  commenting  and  sympathizing.  Look  among  the  pictures 
collected  for  bird  pictures  and  cut  and  mount  them,  to  be  taken 
home.  Or  give  each  child  a  bird  picture  ordered  from  the 
Perry  Picture  Company. 

Service  of  Worship : 

Chimes. 

Hymn:  Fair  Are  the  Meadows  (A  First  Book  in  Hymns 
and  Worship,  No.  41). 

Scripture  Reading  :  The  Memory  Work  repeated.  Read 
aloud  Song  of  Solomon  2.  n-13;  Psalm  19.  1 ;  Genesis  1.  I. 

Story  :     The  Time  of  the  Singing  of  the  Birds. 

Long  years  ago  there  lived  a  man  whose  name  was  Francis. 
Francis  was  a  kind  and  gentle  man,  and  so  good  to  everyone, 
both  man  and  beast,  that  they  called  him  "saint."  "Saint" 
means  "holy,"  and  all  holy  things  are  good.  The  country  in 
which  Saint  Francis  lived  was  warm  and  sunny.  There  were 
flowers  everywhere  and  the  sky  was  blue  by  day,  and  bluer 
still  by  night.  At  night  it  was  a  dark  blue  sky,  filled  with 
stars,  and  Francis  loved  to  sleep  out  of  doors  on  the  ground 
with  the  sky  for  a  roof.  As  he  lay  on  the  ground  looking  at 
the  stars  and  thinking  of  God,  who  made  them,  he  heard  the 
little  sounds  the  birds  and  animals  make  when  they  say  "Good 
night."    Francis  loved  the  birds  and  animals  and  he  understood 


286    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

their  language.  He  called  the  birds  his  little  sisters  and  broth- 
ers, and  when  he  called  them  they  flew  to  him  and  perched  on 
his  shoulders  and  ate  from  his  hand.  Even  the  fierce  wolves 
and  the  sly  foxes  came  when  Saint  Francis  called  them. 

An  old  wolf  who  was  cross  and  fierce  lived  in  a  cave  near 
the  place  where  Saint  Francis  loved  to  spend  his  days.  The 
wolf  frightened  the  children  who  came  to  gather  berries  near 
the  forest,  and  when  the  children  told  Saint  Francis  about  him 
Saint  Francis  called,  "Brother  Wolf,  come  to  me/'  The  old 
wolf  came  shyly  nearer  and  nearer  and  then  he  lay  down  at 
Saint  Francis'  feet.  "Brother  Wolf,"  said  Saint  Francis,  "it 
is  cruel  to  frighten  the  children.  They  would  like  to  be  your 
friends  and  give  you  food.  The  gentle  birds  and  rabbits  are 
their  playmates.     Be  gentle,  Brother  Wolf!" 

A  friend  once  gave  Saint  Francis  a  little  lamb.  The  lamb 
loved  Saint  Francis  dearly,  but  one  day  Saint  Francis  started 
on  a  long  journey  and  left  all  of  his  animals  and  birds  to  be 
cared  for  by  his  friends.  He  was  gone  so  long  that  the  little 
lamb  grew  to  be  a  great  sheep  while  he  was  away,  and  as  the 
cooler  days  were  coming,  the  friends  sheared  the  sheep  and 
made  a  warm  cloak  for  Francis  from  the  wool.  Saint  Francis 
was  very  glad  to  wear  the  warm  cloak  and  he  thanked  the 
sheep  for  the  wool,  and  also  the  friends  who  made  the  wool 
into  yarn  and  wove  it  into  a  cloak  for  him. 

One  day  Saint  Francis  walked  to  town  on  an  errand,  and 
in  the  market  place  he  saw  a  boy  trying  to  sell  two  little  wild 
doves.  The  boy  had  caught  them  in  a  trap,  and  the  doves 
were  so  frightened  that  it  made  Saint  Francis  very  unhappy 
to  hear  them  cry.  "Give  them  to  me !"  he  begged,  and  the  boy 
handed  Saint  Francis  the  little  frightened  doves.  He  walked 
back  to  the  forest  with  a  dove  in  each  hand  and  he  spoke  so 
gently  to  them  that  they  stopped  crying  and  were  happy  and 
contented.  They  were  very  happy  when  Saint  Francis  set 
them  free  in  the  forest,  and  they  built  a  nest  in  a  tree  near  the 


THE  TIME  OF  THE  SINGING  OF  BIRDS       287 

little  home  that  Saint  Francis  had  made  for  himself.  They 
never  flew  very  far  away  from  their  good  friend,  and  he  knew 
that  their  soft  cooing  meant,  "Thank  you,  thank  you!"  and 
that  they  loved  him. 

Saint  Francis  called  the  birds  to  him  one  day  and  they  came 
by  hundreds.  When  the  branches  of  the  trees  were  filled  with 
birds  and  the  ground  was  covered  with  them,  Saint  Francis 
preached  a  little  sermon  to  them. 

He  said :  "My  little  sisters  and  brothers,  God  has  given  you 
your  soft  wings,  and  he  has  taught  you  to  fly.  He  gave  you 
your  pretty  coats  of  feathers  and  he  gives  you  good  things  to 
eat.  Sing  your  sweetest  songs  for  him,  little  birds,  for  God  is 
good."  When  the  little  sermon  was  over,  Saint  Francis 
smoothed  the  bright  feathers  of  his  little  bird  friends  and  then 
they  flew  away,  singing  most  lovely  songs. 

One  morning,  before  it  was  light,  Saint  Francis  stood  in  the 
forest  waiting  to  hear  the  birds  sing  their  good-morning  songs. 
At  first  it  was  very  still.  The  stars  were  still  shining  and  the 
whole  world  seemed  to  be  asleep.  But  the  world  grew  gray 
and  then  the  stars  faded,  as  a  bright  place  came  in  the  sky  just 
over  the  hills.    A  sleepy  little  bird  sang  softly : 


mm 


Sleep  Song 

m/8ve  ■+       m  .  #- 


^m 


Good  morn-ing !  Good  morn  -  ing ! 


m 


ppp 


4 


p 


288     A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

and  another  bird  took  his  soft  little  brown  head  out  from  under 
his  wing  and  answered.     He  sang : 


M- $ 


Dawn  Chirp 

nr~v 


r  r  ity 


r '  ■  ii 


W 


Sing        all      ye,        and  praise  the      Lord ! 
VPPf-2- /-J- 


rJPPPf 

mm 


-f 


\& 


It  was  a  beautiful  song  and  the  sleepy  birds  took  their  heads 
out  from  under  their  wings.  They  opened  their  eyes,  and 
listened,  as  the  thrush  sang  his  morning  sermon.  Then  they 
too  began  to  sing,  for  the  thrush  was  telling  them,  "  Sing! 
Sing!  Sing!"  It  made  Saint  Francis  happy  to  hear  them.  It 
would  make  anyone  happy  to  hear  a  forest  full  of  birds  sing- 
ing their  morning  song.  Saint  Francis  thought  he  heard  the 
thrush  say: 

"Sing!  brothers,  sisters,  little  ones  in  the  nest ! 
Sing !  for  morning  has  come  and  God  has  given  us  a  new  day ! 
Sing!  for  the  darkness  has  gone; 

Night  is  good  for  rest ;  for  seeing  many  stars,  for  coolness  and 
sweet  wood  odors. 
But  now  the  world  wakes  to  gladness  and  the  day  is  here ! 
Sing!  and  let  your  songs  be  all  of  joy,  to  tell  to  every  creature 
that  God  is  love; 

Sing  all  ye!  and  praise  the  Lord!" 


THE  TIME  OF  THE  SINGING  OF  BIRDS      289 
Morning  Song 


Note:  Harry  S.  Mason  has  harmonized  the  notes  of  the 
thrush's  songs  for  us.  The  chords  should  be  played  very  softly 
(pressure  touch)  and  both  pedals  used  freely.  As  you  repeat  the 
words  of  the  song  as  they  come  in  the  story,  the  piano  should 
carry  the  tune.  Speak  the  lines  clearly  and  without  haste.  The 
music  may  be  repeated  several  times ;  as  often  as  need  be,  while 
you  are  speaking,  and  once  softly  after  you  finish,  as  a  postlude. 
The  music  should  be  a  background  for  the  words  that  you  are 
saying,  and  not  a  tune  that  you  attempt  to  sing. 

Prayer  :  A  prayer  song,  Father,  We  Thank  Thee  (A  First 
Book  in  Hymns  and  Worship,  No.  15). 

Poem: 

"Praise  to  God  for  things  we  see, 
The  growing  flower,  the  waving  tree, 
Our  mother's  face,  the  bright  blue  sky, 
Where  birds  and  clouds  come  floating  by — 
Praise  to  God  for  seeing. 


290    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

"Praise  the  Lord  for  sounds  we  hear, 
Voices  of  our  playmates  dear, 
Merry  bells  and  songs  of  birds, 
Stories,  tunes  and  kindly  words, 
Praise  the  Lord  for  hearing." 

Benediction. 

For  the  Teacher:  Read  "The  Return  of  the  Birds,"  in 
Wake  Robin;  "The  Spring  Birds'  Procession,"  in  Field  and 
Study,  both  by  John  Burroughs. 


LESSON  LIII 
GOD'S  TREES 

Teach  this  lesson  as  near  Tree  Day  as  you  can,  and  plant 
a  tree  if  you  have  a  suitable  place  and  can  gain  permission. 
There  are  organizations  in  many  States  and  cities  with  which 
teachers  can  cooperate,  and  the  literature  published  by  such 
organizations  will  help  you  to  know  what  to  plant  and  how  to 
plant  it.  Write  to  the  Department  of  Agriculture  and  also  to 
the  Bureau  of  Education,  Washington,  D.  C,  for  pamphlets. 

This  would  be  a  time  when  several  classes  could  combine  to 
great  advantage.  You  may  be  able  to  plant  your  tree  and 
hold  your  tree-planting  exercises  with  the  first  and  third  pri- 
mary classes,  or  even  with  classes  of  older  children,  and  differ- 
ent organizations.  This  would  make  it  necessary  for  you  to 
plan  for  this  occasion  weeks  ahead.  If  you  join  other  classes, 
a  committee  will  probably  arrange  a  program.  But  if  you  are 
to  work  alone,  the  material  given  here  will  be  helpful. 

If  you  buy  and  plant  a  tree,  you  will  find  a  small  evergreen 
to  be  a  wise  choice.  They  are  hardy,  and  while  the  growth  is 
slow  they  give  you  a  spot  of  green  all  winter  and  will  serve  as 
an  outdoor  Christmas  tree  when  next  the  blessed  season  comes 
round.  You  will  perhaps  have  the  joy  of  watching  birds  all 
winter  if  you  place  the  right  bird  house  in  your  tree  to  attract 
them,  and  feed  them  properly. 

If  a  tree  is  out  of  the  question,  plant  a  vine.  A  florist  will 
sell  you  a  well-rooted  vine,  and  Virginia  Creeper  is  a  good 
choice.  Amphilopsis  is  also  satisfactory  and  climbs  without 
help  if  planted  against  a  stone  or  brick  wall.  The  sunny  side 
of  any  school  or  church  building — if  there  are  a  few  inches 
291 


292     A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

between  the  wall  and  the  pavement — will  be  a  good  place  for 
planting,  and  if  the  children  water  the  vine  for  a  few  weeks 
until  it  is  well  started,  it  will  be  a  great  pleasure  to  many  and 
provide  you  with  red  leaves  in  the  fall. 

If  you  plant  a  vine  quite  by  yourselves,  meet  the  children 
in  the  yard  and  do  your  planting  before  you  go  into  the  class- 
room for  the  service. 

A  Plan  for  the  Classroom: 

If  you  really  cannot  manage  a  planting,  arrange  a  basket  of 
fruit  in  the  center  of  the  table  before  the  children  arrive.  Let 
it  all  be  the  fruit  of  trees — although  this  is  late  in  the  season 
for  it.  An  orange,  dates,  figs,  apples,  a  cone  and  an  acorn  will 
give  you  what  you  need  for  your  lesson,  and  maple  sugar  in 
small  pieces  will  be  an  added  pleasure.  Ask  the  children  to 
help  you  place  squares  of  paper  for  doilies  and  chairs  for  all. 
When  you  are  seated  take  each  of  the  fruits  in  turn  and  tell 
some  interesting  thing  about  them,  remembering  that  the  trees 
on  which  these  beautiful  things  grew  were  made  by  God. 

Apple:  Recall  the  story  of  the  Garden  of  Eden  (Lesson 
XLI).  Cut  the  apple  in  two  midway  between  the  stem  and 
the  blossom  and  show  the  star  formed  by  the  seeds  and  seed 
cases.  Show  a  seed  and  note  how  small  a  thing  it  is  to  con- 
tain an  apple  tree !  Give  each  child  a  small  piece  of  apple  to 
eat.  Have  the  children  seen  apple  trees?  Speak  of  the  blos- 
soms. 

Orange:  Oranges  grow  in  the  countries  where  it  is  always 
warm.  The  orange  tree  is  very  beautiful  with  its  shining  green 
leaves,  and  the  white  blossoms,  and  oranges  like  yellow  lanterns 
are  as  gay  as  a  Christmas  tree. 

"  'What  shall  I  send/  said  the  mother  tree, 
'To  my  children  living  over  the  sea  ?' 
The  oranges  all  waved  to  and  fro 
And  said,  'We'll  go !  We'll  go !' 


GOD'S  TREES  293 

"Over  the  sea  so  wide  and  deep, 
Rocked  by  the  waves  till  they  fell  asleep, 
On  they  were  carried,  till  each  one  came 
To  the  home  of  a  child — do  you  know  his  name?" 

(Author  Unknown.) 

Each  child  may  have  an  orange  quarter. 

Date:  Tell  or  let  the  children  tell  "The  Palm  Tree  Village" 
(Lesson  IV). 

Fig:  The  Children  of  Israel  ate  figs  and  dates  when  they 
came  to  wells  of  water  and  palm  trees.  These  came  from  that 
part  of  the  world.  (Cut  the  fruit  up  and  give  each  child  a 
taste. ) 

Cone:  This  is  fruit  too — fruit  for  the  birds.  The  part 
that  they  eat  is  in  these  little  pockets.  Perhaps  if  I  shake  it, 
some  of  the  bird  food  will  come  out.  Yes,  here  it  is,  with  a 
wing  to  help  it  fly.  When  these  little  seeds  fall  out,  and  the 
birds  do  not  find  them,  the  wind  carries  them  to  a  place  where 
a  tree  is  to  grow,  and  the  sun  and  the  rain  and  the  earth  help 
them.  Tall  pine  trees  grow  from  these  little  winged  seeds. 
We  will  plant  this  and  perhaps  it  may  grow  for  us. 

Acorn:  This  is  the  fruit  for  squirrels.  Great  oak  trees  are 
folded  up  and  packed  away  in  acorns.  I  am  going  to  tell  you 
a  story  about  an  acorn  when  we  go  to  service.  We  will  watch 
for  oak  trees  that  grew  from  acorns  when  we  take  our  next 
walk.  Shall  we  bow  our  heads  and  thank  the  heavenly  Father 
for  creating  all  of  these  splendid  trees? 

We  thank  thee  for  all  trees,  for  they  are  shady  and  lovely. 
They  give  us  fruit  to  eat  and  the  birds  build  their  nests  in  them. 
We  wonder  how  the  world  can  be  so  beautiful !    Amen. 

Play: 

Each  child  waves  uplifted  arms,  making  believe  he  is  a  tree. 
Ask  the  children  in  turn  which  of  the  trees  they  are  and  why. 


294     A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

Service  of  Worship: 

The  Chimes. 

Hymn:  Trees  (A  First  Book  in  Hymns  and  Worship, 
No.  61). 

"Trees  are  good  to  have  for  friends 
Who  live  right  near  to  you ; 
They  love  to  whisper  secrets 
Meant  only  for  a  few. 

"Elms  and  maples  serve  you  well 
On  front  lawns,  with  their  shade; 
They  bow  to  welcome  callers 
On  pleasure  come  or  trade. 

"Quite  near  the  back  door  planted 
Are  apple,  peach,  and  pear; 
In  blossom  time  the  fruit  trees 
With  fragrance  fill  the  air. 

"They  let  you  climb  their  branches; 
They  hold  your  long  rope  swing; 
And  hidden  by  their  green  leaves 
The  birds  are  heard  to  sing. 

"Only  God  could  make  a  tree 

From  tiny  brownish  seed ; 

Wherever  he  has  placed  one, 

We  have  a  friend  indeed." 

Scripture  Reading:     Memory  Work. 

Hymn  :     Fair  Are  the  Meadows. 

Story  :     The  Little  Acorn. 

It  was  a  little  acorn  that  hung  on  the  bough  of  a  tree.  It 
had  a  tender  green  cup  and  a  beautifully  carved  saucer  to  hold 
it.    The  mother  oak  fed  it  with  sweet  sap  every  day,  the  birds 


GOD'S  TREES  295 

sang  good-night  songs  above  it,  and  the  wind  rocked  it  gently 
to  and  fro.  The  oak  leaves  made  a  soft  green  shade  above  it, 
so  the  sun  could  not  shine  too  warm  on  its  green  cover,  and  it 
was  as  happy  as  an  acorn  could  be. 

There  were  many  other  acorns  on  the  tree,  and  I  am  sure 
the  mother  often  whispered  loving  words  to  all  her  babies. 

The  summer  days  were  so  bright  and  pleasant  that  the  acorn 
never  thought  of  anything  but  sunshine  and  an  occasional 
shower  to  wash  the  dust  off  the  leaves. 

But  you  know  that  summer  ends  and  the  autumn  days  come. 
The  green  cup  of  the  acorn  turned  to  a  brown  cup,  and  it  was 
well  that  it  grew  stiffer  and  harder,  for  the  cold  winds  began 
to  blow. 

The  leaves  turned  from  green  to  golden  brown,  and  some 
of  them  were  whisked  away  by  the  rough  wind.  The  little 
acorn  began  to  grow  uneasy. 

"Isn't  life  all  summer?"  it  said. 

"No,"  whispered  the  mother  oak,  "the  cold  days  come  and 
the  leaves  must  go  and  the  acorns  too.  I  must  soon  lose  my 
babies." 

"Oh !  I  could  never  leave  this  kind  bough,"  said  the  fright- 
ened acorn.    "I  should  be  lost  and  forgotten  if  I  were  to  fall." 

So  it  tried  to  cling  all  the  closer  to  its  bough;  but  at  last 
it  was  alone  there.  The  leaves  were  blown  away,  and  some  of 
them  had  made  a  blanket  for  the  brown  acorns  lying  on  the 
ground. 

One  night  the  tree  whispered  this  message  to  the  lonely 
acorn :  "This  tree  is  only  your  home  for  a  time.  This  is 
not  your  true  life.  Your  brown  shell  is  only  the  cover  for  a 
living  plant,  which  can  never  be  set  free  until  the  hard  shell 
drops  away,  and  that  can  never  happen  until  you  are  buried 
in  the  ground  and  wait  for  the  spring  to  call  you  into  life.  So 
let  go,  little  acorn,  and  fall  to  the  ground,  and  some  day  you 
will  wake  to  a  new  and  glorious  life." 


296    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

The  acorn  listened  and  believed,  for  was  not  the  tree  its 
sheltering  mother?  So  it  bade  her  farewell,  and,  loosing  its 
hold,  dropped  to  the  ground. 

Then,  indeed,  it  seemed  as  if  the  acorn  were  lost.  That 
night  a  high  wind  blew  and  covered  it  deep  under  a  heap  of 
oak  leaves.  The  next  day  a  cold  rain  washed  the  leaves  closer 
together,  and  trickling  streams  from  the  hillside  swept  some 
earth  over  them.  The  acorn  was  buried.  "But  I  shall  wake 
again,"  it  said,  and  so  it  fell  asleep.  It  might  have  been  cold; 
but  the  frost  fairies  wove  a  soft,  white  snow  blanket  to  cover 
it,  and  so  it  was  kept  warm. 

If  you  had  walked  through  the  woods  that  winter,  you  would 
have  said  the  acorn  was  gone,  but  then  you  could  not  have  seen 
the  life  slumbering  within  the  brown  cover.  But  spring  came 
and  called  to  all  the  sleeping  things  underground  to  waken  and 
come  forth.  The  acorn  heard  and  tried  to  move,  but  the  brown 
shell  held  it  fast.  Some  raindrops  trickled  through  the  ground 
to  moisten  the  shell,  and  one  day  the  pushing  life  within  was 
set  free.  The  brown  shell  was  of  no  more  use  and  was  lost 
in  the  ground,  but  the  young  plant  was  to  live.  It  heard  voices 
calling  it  upward.  It  must  arise.  "A  new  and  glorious  life," 
the  mother  oak  had  said. 

"I  must  arise,"  the  acorn  said,  and  up  the  living  plant  came, 
up  to  the  world  of  sunshine  and  beauty.  It  looked  around. 
There  was  the  same  green  moss  in  the  woods,  the  same  singing 
brook. 

"And  I  shall  live  and  grow,"  it  said. 

"Yes,"  called  the  mother  oak,  "you  are  now  an  oak  tree. 
This  is  your  real  life." 

And  the  tiny  oak  tree  was  glad  and  tried  to  stretch  higher 
toward  the  sun. 

(Lucy  Wheelock.     Used  by  permission.) 

Prayer  and  Benediction. 


GOD'S  TREES  297 

Additional  Material:  1.  For  tree-planting  ceremonies,  see 
Arbor  Day,  one  of  the  books  in  Our  American  Holiday  Series, 
by  Robert  Haven  Schauffler.  2.  "Why  the  Evergreen  Trees 
Keep  Their  Leaves  in  Winter."  3.  "Why  the  Morning  Glory 
Climbs,"  in  How  to  Tell  Stories  to  Children,  by  Sara  Cone 
Bryant.  Houghton  Mifflin  Company,  Boston.  4.  "The  Com- 
ing of  the  Wonder  Tree,"  Educating  by  Story-Telling,  by 
Katherine  Dunlap  Cather.  World  Book  Company,  Yonkers, 
N.  Y.     5.  "The  Silver  Cones"  (Lesson  XVI). 

For  the  Teacher: 

For  there  is  hope  of  a  tree, 

If  it  be  cut  down,  that  it  will  sprout  again, 

And  that  the  tender  branch  thereof  will  not  cease. 

Though  the  root  thereof  wax  old  in  the  earth, 

And  the  stock  thereof  die  in  the  ground, 

Yet  through  the  scent  of  water  it  will  bud, 

And  put  forth  boughs  like  a  plant. 

(From  the  Book  of  Job.) 

Read  "Trees,"  by  Joyce  Kilmer. 

"The  Wonder,"  in  The  Emerald  Story  Book,  by  Ada  M. 
Skinner.    Duffield,  New  York. 

"A  Day  of  Sunshine,"  by  Henry  W.  Longfellow. 


LESSON  LIV 

WHEN  WE  PRAY 

The  services  following  these  lessons  might  take  place  in 
the  church  or  chapel.  This  lesson  certainly  should,  unless  you 
can  be  in  the  country  or  the  woods.  Give  the  first  half  of  the 
hour  to  caring  for  the  tree  or  vine  planted  a  few  days  ago.  It 
will  need  to  be  watered  unless  there  has  been  a  good  rain. 
Those  who  have- planted  a  garden  bed  will  need  to  water  that 
too.  Sweep  the  path  and  sidewalk  with  the  little  brooms. 
Weed  the  garden  bed  and  soften  the  earth  around  the  tree  or 
vine ;  or  go  to  the  park,  carrying  a  tree  book,  and  bring  home 
leaves  to  draw  and  color. 

A  Plan  for  the  Classroom: 

Bring  budding  branches  and  study  the  blossoms  and  new 
leaves.  Give  each  child  a  card  (stiff  manila  paper  will  do) 
about  8xio  inches.  Make  freehand  drawings  of  leaves,  or  lay 
a  leaf  on  the  card  and  draw  around  it.  Then  copy  the  vein- 
ing,  and  color.  Under  the  drawing,  write  the  prayer  for  these 
lessons,  and  tie  a  loop  of  green  worsted  or  ribbon  in  the  top 
so  that  the  child  can  hang  the  prayer  card  in  his  room. 

March  to  church  or  to  the  chairs,  as  usual,  for  the  service. 
Stand  while  you  sing. 

Service  of  Worship: 

The  Chimes. 

Hymn:  Christ  Is  Risen  (A  First  Book  in  Hymns  and 
Worship,  No.  94). 

Scripture  Reading:  The  Memory  Work  for  these 
lessons. 

298 


WHEN  WE  PRAY  299 

Hymns  .  Fair  Are  the  Meadows  (A  First  Book  in  Hymns 
and  Worship,  No.  41)  ;  On  a  Spring  Day  (A  First  Book  in 
Hymns  and  Worship,  No.  5). 

Story:     The  Prayer  That  Jesus  Taught. 

There  is  a  hill  in  the  country  where  Jesus  lived  called  the 
Mount  of  Olives.  It  was  a  beautiful  place,  and  the  people  who 
went  to  the  top  and  looked  way  off  could  see  the  city  of  Jeru- 
salem. They  could  see  the  river,  and  a  lot  of  little  villages 
where  people  lived  in  little  clay  houses  and  went  every  day  to 
the  well  for  water,  as  Mary  did  in  Nazareth.  The  hill  was  a 
shady  place,  and  the  breeze  was  cool,  if  you  sat  under  the 
olive  trees. 

One  day  Jesus  went  to  the  Mount  of  Olives  with  his  friends 
Peter  and  Andrew  and  James  and  the  others.  These  were  the 
friends  whom  Jesus  had  asked  to  leave  their  homes  and  their 
work,  and  go  with  him,  to  help  him  and  to  learn  how  to  teach 
as  he  taught. 

They  rested  part  way  up  the  hill,  in  the  shade,  and  Jesus 
left  his  friends  and  went  away  alone,  to  talk  to  his  heavenly 
Father.  Peter  and  Andrew  and  James  and  John  knew  that 
Jesus  talked  to  the  heavenly  Father  in  a  different  way.  So 
many  of  the  people  when  they  prayed  called  out  loudly  to  God 
in  the  streets  and  everyone  could  hear.  These  people  did  not 
mean  what  they  said,  and  did  not  think  what  they  were  saying. 

Even  these  good  friends  who  helped  Jesus  so  much  did  not 
know  how  to  pray  as  Jesus  did.  They  saw  that  when  Jesus 
had  been  talking  with  God  he  was  happy,  and  that  before  he 
began  his  work  he  asked  God  to  help  him.  And  so  when  he 
came  to  them  that  day  on  the  Mount  of  Olives  after  talking 
with  his  heavenly  Father,  they  said,  "Lord,  teach  us  to  pray." 
And  Jesus  taught  them  the  prayer  that  we  say  so  often.  He 
said,  "When  ye  pray,  say,  Our  Father  which  art  in  heaven, 
Hallowed  be  thy  name.     Thy  kingdom  come.     Thy  will  be 


3oo    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

done,  on  earth,  as  it  is  in  heaven.  Give  us  this  day  our  daily- 
bread.  And  forgive  us  our  trespasses,  as  we  forgive  those 
who  trespass  against  us.  And  lead  us  not  into  temptation,  but 
deliver  us  from  evil :  for  thine  is  the  kingdom,  and  the  power, 
and  the  glory,  forever.  Amen."  The  friends  of  Jesus  lis- 
tened, and  remembered,  and  said  the  prayer  that  Jesus  had 
taught  them,  again  and  again.  Then  they  taught  it  to  a  great 
many  people,  and  the  people  who  heard  them  say  it  said  it  too, 
and  so  through  all  these  many,  many  years  people  have  said 
it  and  we  say  it!  It  is  called  the  Lord's  Prayer  because  the 
Lord  first  taught  it.  To-day  there  are  a  great  many  people  in 
Japan,  Neesima's  country,  who  say  this  prayer  in  a  different 
language  from  ours.  You  know  how  very  different  it  is.  The 
people  up  in  the  cold  country,  where  the  snow  stays  all  the 
year,  are  saying  those  words  to  the  heavenly  Father  in  their 
language.  The  people  who  live  in  the  hot  countries,  where  the 
oranges  grow,  are  saying  it  too,  and  the  heavenly  Father  hears 
and  understands  everyone! 

The  heavenly  Father  wants  his  children  to  talk  to  him.  He 
wants  them  to  ask  for  the  things  that  they  want,  and  he  wants 
us  to  pray  about  other  people.  And  now  I  am  going  to  tell 
you  a  very  wonderful  thing — he  wants  us  to  help  him  to  an- 
swer our  prayers!  How  can  we  help  to  make  his  kingdom 
come,  on  earth  as  it  is  in  heaven  ?  Why,  by  being  happy  and 
good  and  making  other  people  happy  and  good  also.  ( Speak 
of  ways  of  making  others  good  and  happy.  By  our  tree,  just 
planted,  by  singing  for  them,  by  making  presents  for  them, 
etc.)  Here  is  a  story  about  a  boy  who  helped  a  prayer  to  be 
answered : 

Another  Story  About  Little  Trot 

Little  Trot  was  playing  on  the  beach  near  his  home.  He  had 
made  a  big  mountain  of  sand.  It  was  almost  as  high  as  the 
rocks  that  lie  asleep  all  day  in  the  sun. 


WHEN  WE  PRAY  301 

When  Trot  had  worked  for  a  long  time,  Jane,  his  nurse, 
brought  him  a  roll  and  a  piece  of  chocolate.  Trot  turned  the 
mountain  into  an  armchair,  and  sat  happily  biting  his  roll  and 
nibbling  his  chocolate. 

Then  something  happened.  A  little  boy  came  wandering 
down  the  beach.  Trot  stopped  eating  and  stared.  He  had 
never  seen  a  boy  so  dirty  before.  The  boy's  feet  were  bare  and 
his  shirt  was  torn.  The  boy  stopped  and  looked  at  Trot.  Trot 
crammed  the  last  bit  of  roll  into  his  mouth. 

"Have  you  had  your  lunch?"  he  asked. 

"No,"  said  the  boy.     "There  wasn't  any." 

"Did  your  mother  forget  to  go  to  market?"  Trot  won- 
dered how  a  mother  could  forget  her  little  boy. 

The  boy  did  not  answer. 

Trot  sat  thinking.  "Then  you  are  hungry.  If  I  had  known 
you  were  coming  I  could  have  saved  my  roll." 

The  boy  made  holes  in  the  sand  with  his  bare  toes. 

Then  Trot  asked,  "Do  you  ask  God  to  give  you  your  daily 
bread?" 

"No,"  said  the  boy.   "Is  it  true  about  God?" 

"Why,  of  course,"  said  Trot.  "We  talk  to  him  every  day, 
and  he  takes  care  of  my  daddy,  when  he  is  on  the  sea,  and  he 
gives  us  our  daily  bread,  and  jam,  and  chocolate  too." 

Trot  looked  at  the  boy  and  decided  that  he  really  did  not 
have  much  to  say  thank  you  for.  He  had  no  hat,  no  shoes,  no 
bath,  and  no  lunch. 

"Where  is  God?"  asked  the  boy. 

"Everywhere,  'specially  in  churches,"  Trot  answered.  "He 
hears  everything  you  say.  To-night,  before  you  go  to  bed,  ask 
him  to  send  you  a  roll  for  lunch  to-morrow,  and  you  will 
get  it." 

"Where  shall  I  find  it?"  and  the  boy  looked  doubtful. 

Trot  looked  around  for  a  good  place.  There  were  little 
caves  in  the  rocks  where  the  water  never  came. 


302    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

"Ask  God  to  put  it  in  that  little  cave  in  the  rock,"  said  Trot. 
"When  you  go  to  bed  to-night,  say  to  God,  'Please  put  a  roll 
for  me  in  the  little  cave  in  the  rock  where  Trot  keeps  his 
spade.     Amen.'  " 

The  boy  nodded  and  ran  down  the  beach  the  way  he  had 
come. 

The  next  day  when  Trot  went  to  play  on  the  beach  he  ran 
to  the  little  cave  in  the  rock.  He  looked  in,  and  put  his  hand 
in  and  felt  around,  but  there  was  nothing  there  but  his  spade. 
He  wondered. 

Then  Jane  came  calling,  "Trot,  Trot!  here  is  your  lunch." 

Trot  ran  and  took  the  roll  Jane  offered  and  put  it  quickly 
into  the  cave.  When  he  turned,  the  little  ragged  boy  was 
coming,  hungry  for  his  roll. 

When  the  boy  had  swallowed  the  last  crumb  Trot  asked, 
"Was  it  good?" 

"Yes,  very,"  said  the  boy.  "But  God  did  not  put  it  there. 
You  did.    I  saw  you." 

Trot  was  very  solemn.  "Yes,  I  did,"  he  said,  "but  I  think 
God  told  me  to.  He  needs  us  all  to  help  him  sometimes.  My 
mother  told  me  so.  I  help  him  plant  seeds,  and  feed  chickens, 
and  I  suppose  he  wanted  me  to  help  him  with  that  roll." 

"Oh!"  said  the  boy.    "Shall  I  say  it  again  to-night?" 

"Yes,  do,"  said  Trot.    And  the  boy  ran  off. 

"Jane,"  said  Trot,  when  he  was  ready  to  play  on  the 
beach  next  day,  "please  bring  two  rolls,  this  morning;"  and 
Jane  did. 

(From  Mon  Petit  Trot,  by  A.  Lichtenberger.  Trans- 
lated and  adapted.  Reprinted  from  The  Mayflower. 
Used  by  permission  of  The  Pilgrim  Press.) 

Prayer  :     A.  Prayer  of  Wonder  and  The  Lord's  Prayer. 

Hymn:  A  prayer  song,  Father,  We  Thank  Thee  (A  First 
Book  in  Hymns  and  Worship,  No.  15). 


WHEN  WE  PRAY  303 

Poem  :     Prayer. 

"If  at  night  when  day  is  done, 

Kneeling  by  your  bed, 
You  can  only  think  of  Him, 

Though  no  word  is  said; 
If  in  crowds  you  think  of  Him 

Who  gives  you  life  and  air, 
God  will  know,  in  his  love, 

That  you  mean  a  prayer." 

(W.  H.  Neidlinger.    Used  by  permission.) 

Benediction. 

For  the  Teacher:  Read  Chapters  VIII  and  IX  in  Training 
Children  in  Religion,  by  George  Hodges.  Read  "A  Child's 
Thought  of  God,"  by  Elizabeth  Barrett  Browning.  For  the 
words  and  music  of  "Prayer"  write  to  The  Neidlinger  School 
of  Music,  East  Orange,  New  Jersey.  Read  "The  Olive  Tree," 
by  S.  Baring-Gould,  in  Golden  Numbers  and  other  collections 
of  poetry. 


LESSON  LV 
GOD'S  WONDERFUL  WORLD 

Here  is  a  lesson  that  should  be  taught  where  the  children 
can  get  a  view.  The  roof  of  the  building  may  be  a  safe  place 
to  go  to,  that  the  children  may  see  far.  Or  there  may  be  a 
tall  building  in  the  neighborhood,  with  a  roof  garden.  Take 
your  Bible  with  you  and  read  the  story  of  creation  as  the 
children  are  enjoying  the  small  part  of  it  that  lies  before  them. 
Point  out  the  land  and  the  water,  the  green  things  that  grow, 
and  the  birds. 

On  your  return  water  the  tree  or  vine,  and  the  garden,  be- 
fore you  go  to  the  classroom. 

A  Plan  for  the  Classroom: 

You  will  need  a  globe,  and  a  copy  of  Harold  Copping' s  pic- 
ture "The  Hope  of  the  World." 

Bring  out  all  of  the  collected  pictures  and  make  a  poster  of 
all  that  illustrate  "God  created  the  heavens  and  the  earth." 
Use  a  large  square  of  new  manila  paper  and  letter  the  words 
across  the  top.  Mount  the  pictures  of  trees,  flowers,  sky, 
birds,  and  animals,  arranging  them  prettily.  Pin  the  poster 
where  all  can  see  it  when  you  have  your  service. 

March  or  play  "Making  Pictures."  Ask  them  to  pose  in 
turn,  leaving  the  others  to  guess  what  the  picture  is.  Begin  by 
showing  them  just  what  you  mean,  by  shading  your  eyes  and 
looking  afar  off.  You  are  looking  at  the  trees  and  lakes  and 
birds  that  God  made.  Stand  looking  up — at  the  stars  that 
God  made.    Stoop  to  pick  a  flower  that  God  made.    And  so  on. 

Service  of  Worship: 

The  Chimes. 

304 


GOD'S  WONDERFUL  WORLD  305 

Hymn  :  Fair  Are  the  Meadows  (A  First  Book  in  Hymns 
and  Worship,  No.  41). 

Story:     The  World. 

(Use  a  map  or  a  globe.)  Jesus  said:  "Go  ye  into  all  the 
world,  and  preach  the  gospel  to  the  whole  creation." 

This  is  a  little  make-believe  world.  It  is  as  much  like  the 
world  as  a  little  doll  is  like  a  child.  But  it  makes  us  think  of 
the  world  and  that  is  because  the  world  is  a  ball,  but  a  great, 
wonderful,  beautiful  one. 

This  is  a  map  of  the  world.  We  can  think  of  the  big  world 
when  we  look  at  a  picture  of  it  like  this.  The  world  is  a  big, 
wonderful  ball.  It  turns  and  turns,  and  we  forget  that  it  is 
turning  and  never  think  about  it  at  all.  Sometimes  we  forget 
about  the  people  who  live  on  the  other  side  of  the  world,  for, 
of  course,  we  cannot  see  them.  This  blue  part  of  the  picture 
shows  where  the  oceans  are.  (Point.)  Have  you  ever  seen 
a  ship  that  can  go  away  across  these  wide  oceans  ?  The  ships 
go  very  fast,  and  yet  the  journey  takes  days  and  days,  and 
nights  and  nights,  because  the  world  is  so  big.  The  countries 
are  very  big  too.  When  people  want  to  go  across  a  country 
they  have  to  eat  and  sleep  on  board  a  train,  and  even  when 
the  engine  goes  very  fast  they  have  to  stay  in  the  cars  for 
days  and  days. 

These  crooked  lines  (point)  are  put  here  to  show  where 
the  rivers  are.  Have  you  ever  seen  a  river?  Some  are  very 
wide,  and  steamboats  sail  on  them.  Some  are  quite  narrow 
and  not  deep  at  all,  so  that  children  can  wade  in  them.  These 
little  marks  (point)  are  here  to  show  where  beautiful,  big 
mountains  are.  These  dots  (point)  are  cities.  There  are 
cities  in  all  the  countries,  you  see  (point),  and  people,  people, 
everywhere.  They  live  close  together  in  the  cities,  on  farms 
in  the  country,  and  all  up  and  down  beside  the  rivers.  People 
live  here  on  these  islands  too.     (Point.)     The  beautiful  water 


306    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

of  the  ocean  curls  up  around  these  islands,  and  there  are 
beaches,  fine  places  for  children  to  play.  The  big,  round,  hot 
sun  shines  and  makes  things  bright  and  happy.  The  sun 
makes  the  food  grow  and  the  people  well. 

God  made  this  wonderful  world  for  his  children.  He  made 
warm  countries  here  (point)  at  the  biggest  part,  and  put  his 
brown  children  to  live  there.  Some  of  his  children  live  here 
(point)  at  the  top  of  the  world,  where  it  is  always  cold  and 
snowy,  even  in  summer.  His  yellow  children  live  here  (point 
to  China),  and  we,  who  are  his  children  too,  live  here  (point). 
We  will  say  our  verse  again,  all  together :  "Go  ye  into  all  the 
world,  and  preach  the  gospel  to  the  whole  creation."  The 
world  is  sometimes  called  the  whole  creation,  and  when  Jesus 
said  that  he  meant  that  he  wanted  everybody  to  know  and  to 
love  the  heavenly  Father.  But,  do  you  know,  even  though 
a  great  many  people  have  obeyed  what  he  said  and  have  gone 
here,  and  here,  and  here  (point),  and  have  told  all  the  people 
they  could,  lots  of  people  haven't  heard  about  the  heavenly 
Father  yet. 

In  some  of  these  countries  far  away  from  us,  people  do  the 
strangest  things.  They  make  images  and  call  them  gods. 
They  think  that  one  of  the  images  makes  the  sun  shine,  and 
that  another  makes  the  plants  grow.  They  have  images 
(which  are  called  idols,  you  know)  for  everything.  They 
sometimes  think  that  their  idols  are  cross,  and  that  when  they 
are  ill  the  idols  have  made  them  so.  These  far-away  people 
have  no  good,  kind  doctors  like  ours,  and  very  often  the  brown 
and  yellow  children  are  sick  and  sad.  Jesus  said,  "Let  the  little 
children  come  unto  me."  (Show  the  picture,  "The  Hope  of 
the  World.")  And  in  this  picture  we  can  see  that  he  loves 
them  all.  This  little  girl  on  his  knee  lives  here  (point).  Her 
country  is  called  India.  This  little  boy  is  from  China  (point). 
This  little  boy  sitting  on  the  ground  is  from  Africa  (point). 
And  this  little  girl  is  from  the  islands  of  the  sea  (point  to  the 


GOD'S  WONDERFUL  WORLD  307 

Philippines).  A  little  girl  from  our  own  part  of  the  big  world 
stands  here  (point).  They  are  all  listening  to  what  Jesus  is 
saying.     He  is  telling  them  about  the  heavenly  Father. 

When  everybody  knows  how  to  love  and  how  to  pray,  the 
world  will  be  a  safe,  beautiful  place  for  all  the  children. 
Everybody,  even  children,  must  help.  Those  who  cannot  go 
"to  the  whole  creation"  must  give  money  to  build  schools 
and  churches.  We  can  send  letters  and  pictures  to  the  mis- 
sionaries and  do  a  great  many  things  to  help. 

Poem  :     Neighbors. 

"Beneath  my  feet  the  floor  so  long, 
Beneath  the  floor  the  earth  so  strong, 
Earth  holds  my  house,  and  earth  holds  me, 
It  is  my  wide,  wide  home,  you  see. 

"Above  my  head  the  roof  is  high, 
Above  the  roof  the  bending  sky, 
It  covers  house,  it  covers  me — 
Sky  is  my  wide,  wide  roof,  you  see. 

"Within  this  wide  house  lives  my  kin, 
In  many  lands,  like  rooms  shut  in, 
We  are  one  family,  don't  you  see — 
In  this  wide  house  they  live  with  me." 

(Mary  E.  Laing.) 

God's  Other  Lads  (Lesson  IV). 
The  Secret  (Lesson  XXVIII). 

Prayer. 

Scripture  Reading  :  The  Memory  Work,  repeated  by  the 
children. 

Hymn. 

Benediction. 


LESSON  LVI 
REVIEW 

There  are  a  number  of  interesting  ways  in  which  these 
lessons  can  be  reviewed,  both  in  doors  and  out  of  doors.  You 
will  want  to  inspect  any  planting  that  you  have  done,  and  you 
may  find  a  need  for  water.  Seeds  may  have  sprouted  and  the 
vine  may  have  grown.  Are  there  any  signs  of  housekeeping  in 
the  bird  house?  Sweep  the  path,  steps,  and  walk,  with  the 
little  brooms.  Invite  another  class  to  join  you  and  go  to  the 
park  together,  returning  for  the  service,  or  tell  several  of  the 
stories  in  a  neighbor's  garden.  Go  to  the  roof  or  remain  in 
the  classroom,  bringing  out  the  butterflies,  posters,  prayer 
cards,  Easter  cards,  and  the  globe.  Entertain  the  guests  with 
poems  and  songs  and  ask  them  to  tell  what  they  have  learned. 
See  if  there  is  not  a  butterfly  or  an  Easter  card  for  each  guest. 
A  variation  of  the  game  of  twenty  questions  can  be  played,  a 
child  announcing  that  he  is  thinking  of  something  that  God 
made.  He  may  have  chosen  a  star  or  a  child  or  a  flower  for 
you  to  guess.  You  will  need  to  take  the  lead,  the  first  time 
at  least. 

The  first  half  hour  may  be  spent  in  any  of  these  ways,  before 
the  chimes  call  you  to  service. 

Service  of  Worship : 

Hymn  (selected). 

Stories:  A  Wonderful  Journey  to  Jerusalem  (Lesson 
XLI).    The  Story  of  Easter  (Lesson  XLII). 

Prayer. 

Scripture  Reading:     The  Memory  Work. 
308 


REVIEW  309 

Poems:  Neighbors  (see  Lesson  LV).  Praise  to  God  for 
Things  We  See  (see  Lesson  LII).  Have  the  Children  repeat 
God's  Other  Lads. 

Hymns  (selected). 

Benediction  :  May  the  blessing  of  the  heavenly  Father  be 
upon  us  and  upon  all  children  forever  and  ever.    Amen. 

Additional  Material:  For  instructions  concerning  bird 
houses  see  Lesson  V. 

For  directions  for  making  simple  bird  houses  see  Things  to 
Make,  by  Gertrude  Hutton. 

The  Butterfly,  in  The  Emerald  Story  Book,  by  Ada  M. 
Skinner. 


VIII.    THE  HAPPY  CHILD 

LVII.  A  Lesson  in  Friendliness. 

LVIII.  Thankfulness. 

LIX.  How  to  Love  One  Another. 

LX.  Learning  to  Work. 

LXI.  The  Meaning  of  Loyalty. 

LXII.  The  Great  Lesson  of  Obedience. 

LXIII.  Worship  Through  Wonder. 

LXIV.  Summer  is  Here. 

REVIEW 

Re-view.  That  is  it.  The  mind,  and  especially  the  little  child's 
mind,  needs  to  re-view  frequently  what  it  is  learning.  New 
thoughts  take  root  but  slowly  and  at  first  insecurely.  Unfamiliar 
mental  pictures  at  the  beginning  are  often  but  dim  outlines  and 
need  to  be  painted  afresh.  Early  impressions  of  truth  and  its 
meaning  are  somewhat  hazy  when  first  grasped,  and  must  be 
cleared  by  repetition  and  new  associations.    Hence  re-view. 

Children  love  to  repeat  the  familiar,  and  especially  do  they 
enjoy  repeating  favorite  stories  and  prayers,  or  verses  they  have 
memorized.  Here,  then,  is  the  teacher's  opportunity.  But  she 
must  remember  that  only  the  alert,  active,  interested  mind  which 
is  compelled  by  a  mood  of  willingness  and  response  will  really 
assimilate  new  thoughts,  deepen  its  impressions,  or  paint  in  more 
vivid  colors  its  mental  pictures. 

In  this  last  section  of  lessons,  therefore,  make  sure  that  the 
finest  thoughts,  the  best  lessons,  the  most  helpful  songs,  and  the 
most  valuable  memory  materials  are  brought  frequently  to  the 
minds  and  hearts  of  the  children.  Repeat,  re-view,  reenforce, 
make  secure  what  you  would  have  your  class  carry  away  with 
them  from  your  course. 


LESSON  LVII 

A  LESSON  IN  FRIENDLINESS 

May  shall  be  a  month  of  interesting  reviews  of  the  year's 
work.  The  most  important  and  worth-while  stories  and  hymns 
have  been  selected  for  review,  and  the  memory  work  should 
be  repeated  often,  although  these  seven-year-old  children 
memorize  in  a  wonderful  way  and  seem  to  retain  a  great  deal 
of  what  they  learn.  One  of  the  stories  listed  as  additional  can 
be  told  each  time  if  something  new  is  desired,  but  the  emphasis 
should  be  upon  the  Bible  stories. 

Play:     Act  the  little  street  scenes  (see  Lesson  III). 

Stories:     Jesus,  Friend  of  Children  (see  Lesson  II).     Two 
Friendly  People  and  Another  (see  Lesson  VII). 

Activity: 

Bring  out  all  the  materials  that  you  have  left  from  the  win- 
ter's work  and  make  what  you  can,  possibly  each  child  making 
a  different  thing,  to  be  taken  to  personal  friends  of  the  chil- 
dren, about  whom  you  might  inquire  as  you  work.  Or  write 
letters  to  friends,  for  which  you  will  have  ready  paper,  pencils, 
and  stamps,  and  if  the  children  know  the  addresses,  the  letters 
can  be  mailed  on  the  way  home.  Suggest  saying,  "I  am  your 
friend,  and  a  friend  loveth  at  all  times,"  or  a  sentence  contain- 
ing the  thought  of  friendship. 

Service  of  Worship : 

Hymn  :  Jesus,  Friend  of  Little  Children  (Songs  for  Little 
People,  No.  29). 

3J3 


314    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

Scripture  Reading:     The  Memory  Work: 

"I  have  called  you  friends,  ...  I  chose  you." 

"A  friend  loveth  at  all  times." 

"Ye  are  my  friends,  if  ye  do  the  things  which  I  command 

you." 
"I  say  unto  you,  my  friends,  Be  not  afraid." 

Prayer  :  Jesus,  gentle  friend  of  all  children,  everywhere, 
we  are  glad  that  you  called  us  your  friends.  Help  us  to  do 
friendly  things  that  will  make  our  friends  happy.  Bless  the 
friends  we  love  and  who  love  us.    Amen. 

Hymn. 
Benediction  : 

"Heavenly  Father,  wilt  thou  hear  me  ? 
Bless  thy  little  child  to-night; 
Through  the  darkness  be  thou  near  me ; 
Keep  me  safe  till  morning  light. 

"All  this  day  thy  hand  has  led  me; 
And  I  thank  thee  for  thy  care ; 
Thou  hast  clothed  me,  warmed  me,  fed  me ; 
Listen  to  my  evening  prayer." 

(Words  and  music  to  be  found  in  "Songs  for 
the  Little  Child,"  by  Clara  Belle  Baker  and 
Caroline  Kohlsaat.     The  Abingdon  Press.) 

Additional  Story:  "The  Lame  Boy,"  in  First  Book  of  Re- 
ligion, by  Mrs.  Charles  A.  Lane. 


LESSON  LVIII 
THANKFULNESS 

Roof  gardens,  churchyards,  and  parks,  if  not  the  open 
country,  should  be  the  scene  of  these  lessons,  even  though  you 
may  have  to  omit  the  handwork.  Play  games  and  give  an 
occasional  opportunity  for  free  play. 

Begin  the  lesson  to-day  by  telling  the  stories,  as  you  will 
want  to  dramatize  them.  Retell  briefly  "A  Baby's  Friends" 
(Lesson  I),  and  follow  your  dramatization  with  the  march 
to  the  Red  Sea. 

The  next  lesson  will  be  your  recognition  of  Mother's  Day, 
and  it  should  be  planned  at  this  time.  The  children  know  a 
great  many  interesting  stories,  lovely  poems  and  Scripture 
verses  as  a  result  of  the  winter's  work.  No  rehearsal  will  be 
necessary  for  carrying  out  the  program  given  as  the  next  les- 
son, but  it  will  be  wise  to  talk  with  the  children  and  tell  them 
what  you  purpose  doing.  You  can  send  postcard  invitations 
and  use  the  handwork  period  for  practicing  if  you  like. 

This  recitation  will  add  greatly  to  the  program  for  the 
Mother's  Day  celebration,  and  if  you  plan  to  use  it,  give  the 
verses  written  clearly  or  typed  to  three  children  to  take  home 
to-day,  and  learn. 

Our  Mothers 

First  Child 
I  know  somebody  with  soft,  quick  hands, 
And  a  heart  that's  gentle  and  understands. 
It's  my  mother. 

Second  Child 
I  know  somebody  with  soft,  quick  hands, 
Her  voice  is  as  sweet  as  a  happy  song. 
It's  my  mother. 

315 


316    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

Third  Child 
I  know  somebody  with  face  so  bright, 
When  she  comes  to  the  window  she  shines  like  a  light. 
It's  my  mother. 

Three  Children  in  Unison 
It's  our  mothers ! 

(Reprinted  from  "The  Pilgrim  Elementary  Teacher." 
Used  by  permission  of  The  Pilgrim  Press.) 

Stories:     A  Joyful  Noise  (see  Lesson  IX).    All  Manner  of 
Precious  Fruits  (see  Lesson  XII). 

Play:  Dramatize  stories. 

Handwork: 

Making  baskets  in  which  to  deliver  invitations  to  the  Moth- 
er's Day  meeting.  Outline  the  baskets  on  an  unthreaded  sew- 
ing machine.  They  can  then  be  torn  quite  readily  by  the  chil- 
dren and  pasted  together  along  the  edges  (see  Diagram  I). 

If  you  can  gather  flowers  or  arrange  to  have  violets  or 
other  wild  flowers  sent  to  you,  you  may  like  to  carry  out  an 
idea  given  us  by  a  teacher  in  a  congested  city  neighborhood. 
The  children  in  her  class  went  to  the  park  and  were  allowed 
to  gather  violets.  On  their  return  they  made  covers  for  drink- 
ing glasses  in  which  to  arrange  the  flowers.  She  drew  circles 
(Diagram  2  is  the  right  size)  on  green  paper,  and  the  children 
cut  them  and  wrote  or  printed  "Mother's  Day,  May  ,  192  ," 
on  the  outer  edge  as  shown  below.  The  flowers  were  thrust 
through  the  hole  in  the  center  before  they  were  presented, 
and  the  children  were  shown  how  to  place  the  disc  over  the 
glass. 

If  the  baskets  are  made,  write  invitations  and  put  one  in 
each  little  basket  to  be  carried  home  to  a  mother. 

Service  of  Worship: 

Hymn:     America  the  Beautiful. 


THANKFULNESS 


317 


Scripture  Reading: 

Sing  unto  Jehovah  with  thanksgiving; 

Sing  praises  upon  the  harp  unto  our  God, 

Who  covereth  the  heavens  with  clouds, 

Who  prepareth  rain  for  the  earth, 

Who  maketh  grass  to  grow  upon  the  mountains. 

— Psalm  147. 

Hymn:  Can  a  Little  Child  Like  Me  (Songs  for  Little 
People,  No.  52). 

Prayer  :  We  thank  thee,  dear  heavenly  Father,  for  music, 
and  all  lovely  sounds,  for  all  beautiful  things  that  we  love  to 
see,  for  food  and  all  growing  things,  for  sunshine  and  for 
rain,  for  our  friends  and  for  Jesus,  who  said,  "Fear  not,"  we 
thank  thee !    Amen. 

Benediction  (see  Lesson  LVII). 


,••«*? 


POLO 


Diagram  i 

(Used  by  permission  of  the  Baptist  Publication  Society, 
Philadelphia.) 


3i8    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

O 


^V  8,1925 


Diagram  2 


LESSON  LIX 
HOW  TO  LOVE  ONE  ANOTHER 

The  season  best  loved  by  the  children  is  the  time  when  we 
celebrate  the  birth  of  Christ.  They  will  be  glad  to  hear  again 
some  of  the  Christmas  stories,  even  though  the  spring  has 
come.  The  lesson  of  love,  the  love  that  "came  down  at  Christ- 
mas," is  most  important  at  all  times  and  you  can  have  a  very 
beautiful  hour  at  this  season  when  we  might  celebrate  the  An- 
nunciation, and  when  the  freshness  of  the  nature  world  re- 
minds us  that  because  he  lives  we  shall  live  also. 

Bring  out  your  copy  of  the  "Sistine  Madonna"  and  make 
the  room  as  attractive  as  you  can.  Except  for  the  recitation 
(see  Lesson  LVIII)  the  program  should  be  nothing  more  than 
an  hour  with  the  children,  as  they  follow  very  informally  the 
ideas  suggested  here. 

A  Program  for  Mother's  Day: 

(Bright,  sweet  music,  played  while  the  children  show  the 
mothers  to  seats.) 

Hymn. 

Recitation  for  Three  Children  (see  Lesson  LVIII). 

Stories:  The  Birth  of  Jesus  Christ  (see  Lesson  XIX). 
The  Visit  of  the  Wise  Men  (see  Lesson  XX). 

Hymn. 

Poem  :  //  /  Had  Been  a  Shepherd  Boy  (see  Lesson  XIX). 
Ask  a  boy  to  repeat  the  poem  and  if  he  needs  prompting,  ask 
a  child  who  knows  to  do  it. 

Hymn. 

319 


320    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

Prayer  :     The  Lord's  Prayer. 

Scripture  Reading  :     The  Memory  Work  for  December. 

March. 

Broom  Drill  (see  Lesson  XXIX). 

Dramatization:    Street  Scenes  (see  Lesson  III). 

Presentation:  Bouquets  in  drinking  glass  covers  (if 
these  were  planned). 

Hymn. 

Benediction  (see  Lesson  LVII). 

Additional  Stories:  i.  "Hans  and  the  Wonderful  Flower," 
in  For  the  Children's  Hour,  by  Bailey  and  Lewis.  2.  "Ander's 
New  Cap,"  in  For  the  Story-Teller,  by  Carolyn  Sherwin 
Bailey. 


LESSON  LX 

LEARNING  TO  WORK 

If  you  can,  go  to  the  playground,  park,  or  fields,  taking  your 
bean-bags  with  you.  After  a  good  game  (Lesson  XXV)  tell 
the  children  that  you  are  going  to  gather  flowers,  pretty  green 
leaves,  and  whatever  there  is  that  you  may  pick,  and  make 
bouquets  to  leave  for  friends  as  you  pass  their  homes  on  your 
way  back  to  the  classroom.  Produce  cards  on  which  you  have 
written  or  typed,  "A  May  Day  bouquet  from  the  children  of 
the  Week-day  Class,"  or  something  that  is  more  appropriate. 
As  you  assemble  and  tie  the  bouquets  decide  upon  the  places 
where  you  will  leave  them.  If  you  can  get  materials  for  bou- 
quets, this  can  be  done  in  the  classroom,  and  the  flowers  can 
be  left  for  friends  on  the  way  home.  May  baskets  can  be 
made  or  the  drinking  glass  covers  used  again  if  you  like. 

Stories:  How  Jesus  Worked  and  Played  (see  Lesson 
XXVI).  Jesus  of  Nazareth  Who  Went  About  Doing 
Good  (see  Lesson  XXVII). 

Service  of  Worship: 

Hymn:     The  Playmate  of  Nazareth. 

Scripture  Reading:  The  Memory  Work  for  January 
with  explanations  (see  Lesson  XXIX). 

Hymn  (chosen  by  the  children). 

Poem:     Gentle  Child  of  Nazareth  (see  Lesson  XXVI). 

Prayer:     Dear  Jesus,  friend  of  children,  who  went  about 
doing  good,  be  with  us  in  our  work  and  in  our  play.    Help  us 
321 


322    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

to  play  fair  and  to  work  well.    Make  us  willing  to  be  glad  when 
others  win,  and  keep  us  loving  and  busy.    Amen. 

Hymn  (one  that  should  be  reviewed). 

Benediction. 

Note:    Ask  the  children  to  bring  the  scrolls  on  which  they 
wrote  Psalm  24,  when  they  come  to  the  next  lesson. 


LESSON  LXI 

LOYALTY 

This  lesson  can  be  taught  just  as  it  is,  in  the  classroom  or 
out  of  doors.  Changes  should  be  made  if  other  stories  and  ac- 
tivities seem  more  important  than  those  that  have  been  selected 
for  this  review. 

March: 

The  leaders  should  carry  the  Christian  flag  and  the  Amer- 
ican flag.    After  the  march  stand  and  salute  both  flags. 

Stories:  Loyalty  to  God  (see  Lesson  XXXIII).  A,  Boy 
Who  Was  Loyal  to  His  King  (see  Lesson  XXXIV). 
A  King  Who  Was  Loyal  to  His  People  (see  Lesson 
XXXV).    A  Great  Procession  (see  Lesson  XXXVI). 

Dramatization:   (see  Lesson  XXXVII). 

Service  of  Worship: 

Hymn  :     America  the  Beautiful. 

Poem  :     My  Land  Is  God's  Land  (see  Lesson  XXXVIII). 

Hymn:     America. 

Scripture  Reading:  Psalm  24  (read  from  scrolls  if  the 
children  brought  them). 

Prayer  :  O  Lord,  thou  art  with  us  here  and  everywhere ! 
Even  thy  little  children  can  do  great  things  because  thou  art 
near.  We  want  to  help  thy  kingdom  to  come  on  earth  as  it 
is  in  heaven.    Amen. 

Hymn:  Fair  Are  the  Meadows  (A  First  Book  in  Hymns 
and  Worship,  No.  41). 

Benediction  (see  Lesson  LVII). 
323 


LESSON  LXII 

THE  GREAT  LESSON  OF  OBEDIENCE 

A  good  game  of  "Lame  Chicken"  (see  Lesson  XLVII)  or 
bean-bags  will  be  all  that  there  will  be  time  for  to-day,  for  the 
stories  are  rather  long  and  the  dramatization,  "Behavior  on 
Street  Cars,"  is  to  follow.  Print  the  street-car  rules  on  large 
cards  and  place  them  where  they  can  be  read  easily :  "Do  not 
stand  on  the  platform,"  "Do  not  put  your  feet  on  the  seat," 
"Do  not  talk  to  the  motorman,"  "Do  not  put  your  head  out  of 
the  window"  are  a  few  that  we  have  all  read.  See  that  these 
and  any  others  that  occur  to  you  are  obeyed  and  show  that 
there  are  good  reasons  for  these  rules. 

Stories:  Following  the  Cloud  (see  Lesson  XLII).  The 
Children  of  Israel  Obey  and  Disobey  (see  Lesson 
XLIII).     The  Commandments   (see  Lesson  XLIV). 

Play:  "Behavior  on  Street  Cars"  (see  Lesson  XLVI). 

Service  of  Worship : 

The  Chimes.  (Church  bells  call  us  to  service  and  should 
be  obeyed.) 

Hymn. 

Scripture  Reading  :     The  Memory  Work  for  March. 

"I  will  hear  what  God  Jehovah  will  speak." 
"All  that  Jehovah  hath  spoken  will  we  do,  and  be  obe- 
dient." 
"Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart,  and 
with  all  thy  soul,  and  with  all  thy  mind.    This  is  the 

324 


THE  GREAT  LESSON  OF  OBEDIENCE        325 

great  and  first  commandment.     And  a  second  like 
unto  it  is  this,  Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbor  as  thy- 
self." 
"Even  the  wind  and  the  sea  obey  him." 

Hymn  :     Father,  We  Thank  Thee  (A  First  Book  in  Hymns 
and  Worship,  No.  15). 

Prayer  and  Benediction  : 

"Gentle  Child  of  Nazareth, 
Let  thy  life  so  meek  and  tender, 
Make  us  glad  obedience  render 
To  our  father  and  our  mother 
And  be  kind  to  one  another, 

Gentle  Child  of  Nazareth.    Amen." 


LESSON  LXIII 

WORSHIP  THROUGH  WONDER 

If  there  is  work  to  be  done  in  the  garden,  or  you  can  walk 
on  a  country  road  where  you  may  dig  up  weeds  and  plants  if 
you  like,  spend  the  whole  hour  out  of  doors.  It  would  be  in- 
teresting to  ask  each  child  to  tell  what  of  all  the  things  he  had 
ever  seen  was  the  most  wonderful.  That  would  help  you  to 
know  what  the  April  lessons  have  taught.  Make  a  list  of 
wonderful  things  that  you  see  as  you  go,  to-day,  and  point  out 
the  wonder  of  some  of  the  things  that  are  commonplace  be- 
cause so  familiar.  You  could  take  paper  bags  or  small  flower 
pots  and  allow  each  child  to  dig  up  a  plant  to  take  home.  Take 
a  reading  glass  and  look  at  the  centers  of  flowers  through  it. 
You  can  do  this  in  the  classroom.  Take  a  few  wild  flowers 
with  you  when  you  go  to  the  class,  if  you  must  have  your 
lesson  indoors. 

Stories:     A   Wonderful  Journey  to  Jerusalem   (see  Lesson 
XLIV).    A  Story  of  Easter  (see  Lesson  L). 

Service  of  Worship : 

Quiet  Music:     Thrush's  Song  (see  Lesson  LII). 

Hymn  :     Fair  Are  the  Meadows. 

Poem:     The  Lowly  King  (see  Lesson  L). 

Hymn  :  Thank  the  Lord  for  All  His  Love  (A  First  Book 
in  Hymns  and  Worship,  No.  18). 

Prayer  :  Heavenly  Father,  help  us  to  think  of  Jesus  when 
we  see  flowers  and  hear  birds  sing.  Let  every  beautiful  thing 
326 


WORSHIP  THROUGH  WONDER  327 

remind  us  of  him,  and  we  are  glad  for  we  are  going  to  live 
with  him  forever  in  heaven.     Amen. 

Scripture  Reading:     The  Memory  Work  for  April. 

"Praise  ye  Jehovah. 
Praise  ye  Jehovah  from  the  heavens: 
Praise  him  in  the  heights. 


Praise  ye  him,  sun  and  moon: 
Praise  him,  all  ye  stars  of  light. 


Mountains  ajid  all  hills; 
Fruitful  trees  and  all  cedars; 
Beasts  and  all  cattle ; 
Creeping  things  and  flying  birds ; 
Kings  of  the  earth  and  all  peoples; 

Let  them  praise  the  name  of  Jehovah; 

His  glory  is  above  the  earth  and  the  heavens. 

Praise  ye  Jehovah." — Psalm  148. 


LESSON  LXIV 
SUMMER  IS  HERE 

If  the  mothers  of  the  children  will  help  you,  you  can  take 
the  children  to  the  park  or  woods  for  a  picnic.  It -may  be 
possible  to  have  afternoon  refreshments  carried  in  baskets, 
if  having  early  supper  together  out  of  doors  makes  too  long 
an  afternoon.  Invite  everybody  who  has  been  helpful  and 
friendly  to  join  you.  The  Scout  who  directed  your  play  in 
February  and  the  woman  who  allowed  you  to  come  to  her 
garden  might  like  to  go  on  a  picnic,  and  they  would  be  sure 
to  like  an  invitation,  even  though  they  cannot  accept.  The 
children  can  bring  what  their  mothers  want  them  to  eat,  and 
the  excursion  will  give  many  opportunities  for  reviewing  these 
lessons,  if  you  will  help  the  children  to  observe.  Point  out 
what  you  wish  them  to  see,  and  make  the  little  Street  Scenes 
come  true,  when  the  boys  (even  if  they  have  to  be  reminded) 
carry  the  baskets  for  the  girls  and  are  generally  helpful.  Play 
"A  Picnic"  (Lesson  XLVIII)  which  will  be  great  fun  with 
real  food,  and  real  boxes  and  papers  to  gather  up.  Play  ring 
games  and  any  of  the  plays  the  children  may  choose. 

Find  a  good  place  for  the  service,  making  it  comfortable 
with  coats  and  wraps,  and  call  the  children  to  order. 

Service  of  Worship: 

Hymn  :     America  the  Beautiful. 

Story:     The  Gift  of  the  Shining  Stranger. 

Once  upon  a  time  there  was  a  little  boy  named  Boris,  who 
lived  with  his  mother  and  his  granny  in  a  little  cottage  just  on 
the  edge  of  the  village.  The  cottage  was  quite  old  and  the 
328 


SUMMER  IS  HERE  329 

shingles  on  the  roof  were  very  loose,  so  that  the  rain  some- 
times came  through  and  the  windows  rattled  when  the  wind 
blew  'round  the  edges  in  the  winter,  for  Boris'  mother  was 
poor  and  worked  hard  to  keep  even  that  little  home  for  granny 
and  Boris  and  herself. 

Of  course  she  loved  her  little  boy  more  than  anything  in  the 
world,  and  many,  many  times  she  thought,  "Oh,  how  I  wish 
I  could  give  Boris  something  that  would  give  him  happiness 
all  his  life  long  and  help  him  to  be  a  splendid,  noble  man!" 
As  she  washed  the  dishes  or  scrubbed  the  floor  of  the  little 
cottage  she  would  sing  softly  to  herself  while  she  thought, 
"Now,  if  a  fairy  were  to  give  me  one  wish,  what  would  I  wish 
for  little  Boris?"  Then  she  would  think,  "I  might  wish  him 
to  have  wealth;  but  no,  that  alone  would  never  make  him 
happy.  In  fact,  it  might  make  him  very  miserable !  I  wonder 
if  wisdom  would  be  best  for  him?  Yet  if  he  had  just  wisdom, 
he  might  forget  all  about  the  little,  simple  everyday  things  and 
the  people  right  around  him.  No,  just  the  wisdom  in  books 
would  never  make  him  the  fine  man  I  want  him  to  be."  So 
she  thought  and  thought,  but  could  never  decide  on  the  one 
great  gift  she  would  like  little  Boris  to  have. 

One  evening,  after  he  had  had  a  particularly  jolly  time  romp- 
ing with  the  other  children  in  the  little  village  and  had  brought 
in  the  wood  for  his  mother  and  helped  wipe  the  dishes,  he 
was  lying  in  front  of  the  fire  studying  away  at  his  little  old 
spelling  book.  Granny  was  sitting  knitting  in  the  chimney 
corner,  and  his  mother  was  resting  after  the  long,  hard  day. 
As  she  looked  at  little  Boris,  with  the  fire-light  turning  his  hair 
to  gold  and  his  cheeks  to  red  poppies,  she  was  thinking  about 
what  he  would  be  when  he  was  a  man — just  as  all  mothers  do, 
sometimes,  you  know.  Suddenly  there  was  a  gentle  knock  at 
the  door.  It  was  so  soft  that  at  first  they  scarcely  heard  it, 
then  it  came  again,  a  little  louder — "Rap-rap." 

Boris  jumped  up  and  ran  to  the  door.     There  in  the  soft 


33Q    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

darkness  stood  a  Shining  Stranger.  He  smiled  at  the  little 
boy  gazing  at  him  in  such  surprise,  and  held  out  a  little  lamp, 
that,  even  in  the  darkness,  Boris  could  see  was  very  beautiful, 
made  of  shining  gold  all  carved  and  burnished,  and  the  little 
flame  burning  in  it  was  the  clearest,  whitest,  steadiest  flame 
Boris  had  ever  seen. 

"Here,  little  Boris,"  said  the  Shining  Stranger,  "is  the  gift 
your  mother  has  so  often  wished  for  you  which  will  help  you 
to  become  a  man  honored  and  beloved  among  the  people. 
Only  you  must  keep  it  bright  and  shining,  and  the  flame  burn- 
ing clear  and  steady!    Guard  it  carefully,  little  Boris!" 

Then,  before  Boris  could  say  "Thank  you,"  or  ask  a  ques- 
tion as  to  how  he  was  to  keep  it  bright  and  clear,  the  Shining 
Stranger  was  gone. 

"Oh,  mother,  mother,"  he  cried,  turning  back  into  the  cot- 
tage. "See  what  the  Shining  Stranger  has  given  me!  Isn't 
it  beautiful !" 

As  Boris  ran  back  to  show  his  mother  and  granny  the  little 
lamp,  the  whole  bare  room  of  the  cottage  seemed  to  grow 
beautiful.  It  glowed  with  a  soft,  rosy  light  and  you  couldn't 
see  the  cracks  in  the  walls  nor  the  stains  the  rain  had  made 
in  the  plaster.  His  mother's  dress  looked  soft  and  pretty,  like 
silk,  and  her  face — oh,  her  face!  It  seemed  to  little  Boris  as 
he  looked  up  at  her  that  it  was  more  beautiful  than  he  had 
ever  seen  it. 

Later,  when  he  held  the  lamp  to  light  granny  into  her  little 
bedroom  behind  the  big  chimney,  the  flame  seemed  to  him 
higher  and  clearer  and  the  lamp  to  grow  even  more  shining, 
if  that  were  possible.  Granny  said,  as  she  kissed  him  good 
night,  that  it  seemed  to  her  the  floor  was  less  uneven  and  she 
could  walk  better,  and  she  was  sure  she  never  knew  her  bed  to 
be  so  soft  and  downy. 

You  can  imagine  that  Boris  went  to  bed  that  night  a  very 
proud  and  happy  little  boy.     The  last  thing  he  saw  before  he 


SUMMER  IS  HERE  331 

closed  his  eyes  was  his  lamp,  glowing  softly  on  the  chimney 
piece. 

The  next  morning  he  could  hardly  wait  to  eat  his  breakfast, 
he  was  so  eager  to  run  into  the  village  and  show  his  new, 
wonderful  treasure  to  the  other  children.  He  was  in  such  a 
hurry  that  he  was  rather  impatient  with  his  mother  for  not 
having  the  porridge  cooked  up  more  quickly  and  he  grumbled 
that  it  was  a  great  nuisance  to  have  to  get  the  wood  and  bring 
the  water  from  the  well!  When,  after  their  little  breakfast, 
his  mother  asked  him  to  go  out  and  get  the  eggs  for  her  to  take 
to  market,  he  answered  quite  crossly,  "Oh,  no,  mother,  I  don't 
want  to  go  after  the  old  eggs !  I  have  to  show  my  new  lamp 
to  Cedric  and  Bertram  and  Ethelyn  and  Gerald  and  ever  so 
many  others  before  school  time!"  But  when  he  turned  to  take 
his  lamp  from  the  chimney  shelf  he  was  terribly  disappointed 
to  see  that  there  were  streaks  of  tarnish  all  up  its  pretty  sides 
and  the  flame  was  smaller  and  duller  than  it  had  been  the  night 
before.  In  fact,  it  was  so  much  less  attractive  than  he  thought 
it  was  that  he  didn't  want  to  show  it  to  anyone  and  went  dis- 
appointedly out  after  the  eggs. 

But  when  he  came  running  home  from  school  he  had  for- 
gotten all  about  being  cross.  He  had  not  missed  a  single  word 
in  his  spelling  lesson  and  the  teacher  had  praised  him  for 
studying  so  earnestly.  The  boys  had  chosen  him  leader  for 
their  games,  because,  they  said,  he  was  fair  and  didn't  grab 
everything  himself.  Last  of  all,  just  before  he  reached  home, 
he  had  found  a  tiny  little  girl  clinging  to  a  tree  and  sobbing 
with  fright  because  a  big  dog,  who  was  really  only  a  puppy, 
was  jumping  and  barking  around  her.  He  was  only  trying 
to  get  her  to  play  with  him,  but  she  was  too  little  to  know  that 
and  she  was  all  alone  and  dreadfully  frightened.  So  Boris 
called  the  dog  away  and  threw  a  stick  as  far  as  he  could  for 
him  to  chase.  Then  he  took  the  little  girl  by  the  hand  and  led 
her  home  to  her  mother.    The  little  thing  had  clung  to  him  so 


332     A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

tightly  and  her  mother  had  been  so  thankful  to  find  her  that 
Boris  felt  like  a  grown-up  man  and  protector,  and,  somehow, 
wonderfully  happy  inside ! 

When  he  reached  home  the  first  thing  he  saw  was  his  lamp 
shining  as  brightly  as  ever  it  had  the  night  before,  and  not  a 
streak  of  tarnish  anywhere. 

"Oh,  mother,"  he  cried,  "did  you  shine  it  up  for  me?" 
"No,"  his  mother  answered,  "I  have  been  too  busy." 
"Humph,"  said  Boris,  staring  at  the  lamp,  "that's  queer.    It 
was  black  enough  this  morning!" 

It  wasn't  long  before  everyone  in  the  village  had  heard  of, 
and  seen,  Boris'  wonderful  lamp.  People  came  from  far  and 
near  to  feast  their  eyes  on  its  soft,  glowing  beauty,  and  always 
they  went  away  feeling  somehow  happier.  Usually  it  was  as 
shining  and  the  flame  as  clear  as  one  could  wish.  When  it  did 
grow  dull,  Boris  soon  got  so  that  he  would  stop  and  stare 
at  it  thoughtfully  a  moment,  and  then  usually  he  would  re- 
member about  an  errand  his  mother  had  asked  him  to  do,  or  a 
cross  word  he  had  said  to  granny  or  mother  or  a  playmate. 
He  soon  found  out  that  all  the  rubbing  and  polishing  he  could 
give  the  lamp  wouldn't  take  off  the  tarnished  spots.  They 
came — and  they  went  away — by  themselves,  but  Boris  began 
to  suspect,  just  as  you  have,  that  he  knew  why  they  came  and 
what  took  them  away ! 

Everyone  loved  the  lamp  so  much  that  Boris  used  to  carry 
it  over  to  sick  or  sad  people's  houses  and  leave  it  there  for  them 
to  see,  and  as  he  grew  a  bigger  boy  he  was  able  to  carry  it  fur- 
ther away  to  places  where  such  a  beautiful  thing  had  never  been 
seen  before.  Always  the  lamp  seemed  at  such  times  to  be 
especially  beautiful.  It  came  about  too  that  people  were  almost 
as  glad  to  see  Boris  as  his  wonderful  lamp — he  was  always  so 
cheery  and  helpful  and  kind.  They  began  to  ask  him  questions 
that  troubled  them  and  to  tell  him  their  secrets  and  ask  his 
advice.     Everyone  honored  and  loved  him. 


SUMMER  IS  HERE  333 

So  it  was  that  when  Boris  was  almost  a  man  and  was  de- 
ciding what  he  should  do  he  said  one  day  to  his  mother : 

"Mother,  I  think  I  will  take  my  little  lamp  and  travel  up 
and  down  the  earth,  showing  it  to  people  and  making  dark 
places  bright.  It  is  selfish  of  me  to  keep  such  a  lovely  thing 
as  my  lamp  just  for  myself  and  the  people  in  my  village.  I 
should  like  to  carry  it  to  everyone,  everywhere !" 

So  one  day  his  mother  kissed  him  good-by,  and  there  was  a 
happy  light  in  her  eyes,  for  she  knew  her  little  Boris  had  grown 
to  be  the  kind  of  a  man  she  had  so  often  wished  that  he  might 
be.  Taking  his  lamp,  Boris  started  on  his  travels.  I  wish  I 
had  time  to  tell  you  all  his  adventures  as  he  journeyed  over 
the  mountains  and  plains  and  rivers,  but  everywhere  he  went 
his  lamp  carried  happiness,  and  people  were  never  quite  so  sad 
or  lonely  again  nor  the  place  so  dark. 

At  last  Boris  grew  very  tired  and  he  said,  "I  will  give  my 
lamp  to  someone  else  to  carry  while  I  go  home  and  rest." 

He  sat  down  by  a  village  well  to  watch  for  someone  to  whom 
he  could  entrust  his  beautiful  lamp. 

"I  must  choose  carefully,"  he  thought.  "It  should  be  some- 
one who  will  learn  little  by  little,  just  as  I  did,  to  care  for  the 
lamp." 

Just  then  a  merry  band  of  children  raced  by.  "Oh,"  cried 
one,  "see  what  a  beautiful  lamp  the  man  has.  May  we  look, 
please?"  and  they  crowded  around  him  to  see  and  admire  the 
lamp. 

"I  can't  see  anything/'  wailed  a  little  voice  back  in  the  crowd. 

Quickly  a  jolly,  laughing  boy  leaned  down  and  tossed  a  wee 
girl  to  his  shoulder. 

"There  you  are,"  he  cried.     "Rollin's  shoulder's  strong!" 

"Oh,"  cried  the  children  in  a  chorus.  "See!  the  light  is  all 
pink  and  the  lamp  glows  like  the  sun." 

As  the  children  ran  on,  Boris  smiled  to  himself,  and  just  as 
the  stars  were  coming  out  one  by  one  he  knocked  at  the  door 


334    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

of  the  cottage  where  the  little  boy  with  the  jolly  laugh  lived, 
the  one  who  had  lifted  up  the  little  girl  that  afternoon. 

When  the  little  boy  himself  opened  the  door,  Boris  said, 
just  as  the  Shining  Stranger  had  said  to  him  years  before, 
"Here  is  the  gift  your  mother  has  so  often  wished  for  you, 
which  will  help  you  to  become  a  man  honored  and  beloved 
among  the  people.  Only  you  must  keep  it  bright  and  shining 
and  the  flame  burning  clear  and  steady.  Guard  it  carefully, 
little  Rollin !" 

He  smiled  to  himself,  as  he  stepped  away  in  the  darkness, 
to  hear  Rollin  cry,  just  as  he  had  once  before,  "Oh,  mother, 
mother,  see  what  the  Shining  Stranger  has  given  me!  Isn't 
it  beautiful!" 

(Ora  Winifred  Wood.) 

Hymn:  All  Things  Bright  and  Beautiful  (A  First  Book 
in  Hymns  and  Worship,  No.  44). 

Prayer:  Heavenly  Father,  help  us  to  think  of  Jesus  when 
we  see  flowers  and  hear  birds  sing.  Let  every  beautiful  thing 
remind  us  of  him,  and  we  are  glad  that  we  are  going  to  live 
with  him  in  heaven  forever  and  ever.  Amen. 

Memory  Work:  See  how  much  of  the  year's  work  the 
children  can  repeat. 

Hymn  (a  favorite). 

Benediction:  The  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and 
the  love  of  God  be  with  us  all  evermore.     Amen. 

During  the  summer  vacation  the  children  can : 
Repeat  the  memory  work. 

Sing  the  songs  we  have  learned  for  anyone  who  wants  to 
hear  them. 

Gather  bouquets  for  grown-up  people. 
Tell  the  stories  to  other  children. 
Collect  shells,  seeds,  cones,  and  pictures. 


SUMMER  IS  HERE  335 

Remember  to  honor  fathers  and  mothers. 

Care  for  the  class  flower  bed,  and  water  the  tree  or  vine. 

Make  a  notebook  and  write  in  it  the  things  most  enjoyed. 

Write  verses  about  the  trees,  sunsets,  and  flowers. 

Write  a  letter  to  the  teacher. 

Pray  the  prayers  learned  with  these  lessons. 


BREATHE  THOU  UPON  US,  LORD, 

THY    SPIRIT'S    LIVING    FLAME, 
THAT  SO  WITH  ONE  ACCORD 

OUR  LIPS  MAY  TELL  THY  NAME; 
GIVE  THOU  THE  HEARING  EAR, 

FIX  THOU  THE  WANDERING  THOUGHT, 
THAT  THOSE  WE  TEACH   MAY  HEAR 

THE  GREAT  THINGS  THOU    HAST   WROUGHT. 


"We  get  no  good 
By  being  ungenerous,  even  to  a  book, 
And  calculating  profits — so  much  help 
By  so  much  reading.    It  is,  rather,  when 
We  gloriously  forget  ourselves,  and  plunge 
Soulforward,  headlong,  into  a  book's  profound, 
Impassioned  for  its  beauty  and  salt  of  truth — 
Tis  then  we  get  the  right  good  from  a  book." 

— Elizabeth  Barrett  Browning. 

Child  Study 

The  Psychology  of  Childhood,  Nors worthy  and  Whitley. 
The  Macmillan  Company,  New  York. 

The  Dawn  of  Religion  in  the  Mind  of  a  Child,  E.  E.  R. 
Mumford.    Longmans,  Green  &  Co.,  London. 

A  Study  of  Child  Nature,  Elizabeth  Harrison.     The  Na- 
tional Kindergarten  and  Elementary  College,  Chicago. 

The  Mind  and  Its  Education,  George  Herbert  Betts.     D. 
Appleton  and  Company,  New  York. 

Child  Nature  and  Child  Nurture,   Edward   Porter  Saint 
John.     The  Pilgrim  Press,  Boston. 

Children's  Ways,  James  Sully.    D.  Appleton  and  Company, 
New  York. 

Childhood  and  Character,  Hugh  Hartshorn.     The  Pilgrim 
Press,  Boston. 

The  Fundamentals  of  Child  Study,  Edward  A.  Kirkpatrick. 
The  Macmillan  Company,  New  York. 
Teacher  Training 

Talks   to   Sunday   School    Teachers,    Luther   A.   Weigle. 
George  H.  Doran  Company,  New  York. 

339 


34Q    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

The  Pupil  and  the  Teacher,  Luther  A.  Weigle.  George  H. 
Doran  Company,  New  York. 

How  to  Teach  Religion,  George  Herbert  Betts.  The  Abing- 
don Press,  New  York. 

Primary  Method  in  the  Church  School,  Alberta  Munkres. 
The  Abingdon  Press,  New  York. 

Educating  by  Story  Telling,  Katherine  Dunlap  Cather. 
World  Book  Company,  Yonkers,  New  York. 

Story-Telling  for  Teachers  of  Beginners  and  Primary  Chil- 
dren, Katherine  Dunlap  Cather.  Printed  by  The  Teacher- 
Training  Publishing  Association,  New  York. 

Picture  Work,  Walter  Hervey.  Fleming  H.  Re  veil  Com- 
pany, New  York. 

How  to  Tell  Stories  to  Children,  Sara  Cone  Bryant.  Hough- 
ton Mifflin  Company,  Boston. 

Handwork  in  the  Sunday  School,  Milton  S.  Littlefield.  The 
Sunday  School  Times,  Philadelphia. 

The  Philosophy  of  Play,  Luther  H.  Gulick,  M.D.     Asso- 
ciation Press,  New  York. 
Teaching  Material 

Edson  Laing  Readers,  Books  II,  III,  and  IV.  Benjamin  H. 
Sanborn,  New  York. 

Handwork  in  Religious  Education,  A.  G.  Wardle.  Univer- 
sity of  Chicago  Press,  Chicago. 

The  Mayflower  Program  Books,  Perkins  and  Danielson. 
The  Pilgrim  Press,  Boston. 

Things  to  Make,  Gertrude  Hutton.  Missionary  Education 
Movement,  New  York. 

School  and  Home  Gardens,  W.  H.  D.  Meir.  Ginn  &  Com- 
pany, New  York. 

Manual  of  Stories,  William  Byron  Forbush.  George  W. 
Jacobs  &  Company,  Philadelphia. 

Stories  to  Tell  to  Children,  Sara  Cone  Bryant.  Houghton 
Mifflin  Company,  Boston. 


HAPPY  BOOKS  341 

Mother  Stories,  Maud  Lindsay.  Milton  Bradley  Company, 
Springfield,  Massachusetts. 

A  First  Primary  Book  in  Religion,  Elizabeth  Colson.  The 
Abingdon  Press,  New  York. 

Friends  of  Ours,  Elizabeth  Colson.  Missionary  Education 
Movement,  New  York. 

Little  Neighbor  Picture  Stories,  Elizabeth  Colson.  Mis- 
sionary Education  Movement,  New  York. 

Near  East  Picture  Stories,  Agnes  W.  Osborne.  Missionary 
Education  Movement,  New  York. 

Little  Folks'  Christmas  Stories  and  Plays,  Ada  M.  Skinner. 
Rand,  McNally  &  Company,  New  York. 

Manual  of  Play,  William  Byron  Forbush.  George  W.  Ja- 
cobs &  Company. 

Ring  Songs,  and  Games,  The  Lucy  Wheelock  Training 
School.  Milton  Bradley  Company,  Springfield,  Massachu- 
setts. 

Joyous  Book  of  Singing  Games,  John  Hornby.  The  Mac- 
millan  Company,  New  York. 

Games,  Jessie  Bancroft.  The  Macmillan  Company,  New 
York. 

A  First  Book  in  Hymns  and  Worship,  Edith  Lovell  Thomas. 
The  Abingdon  Press,  New  York. 

Songs  for  Little  People,  Frances  Weld  Danielson  and  Grace 
Wilbur  Conant.    The  Pilgrim  Press,  Boston. 

The  Children's  Hymnal,  Eleanor  Smith.  American  Book 
Company,  New  York. 

The  Posy  Ring,  Wiggin  and  Smith.  McClure  Phillips,  New 
York. 

For  Days  and  Days,  Annette  Wynne.  Frederick  A.  Stokes 
Company,  New  York. 

A  Book  of  Verses  for  Children,  E.  V.  Lucas.  Henry  Holt 
and  Company,  New  York. 


342    A  SECOND  PRIMARY  BOOK  IN  RELIGION 

A  Child's  Garden  of  Verses,  Robert  Louis  Stevenson. 
Charles  Scribner's  Sons,  New  York. 

The  Mayflower  (illustrated  story  paper).  The  Pilgrim 
Press,  Boston. 

The  Pilgrim  Elementary  Teacher  (a  monthly  magazine). 
The  Pilgrim  Press,  Boston. 

The  Church  School  (a  monthly  magazine).  The  Abingdon 
Press,  New  York. 

Department  of  Labor,  Children's  Bureau,  Washington,  D.  C. 

Children's  Sayings,  William  Canton.  Dodd,  Mead  &  Com- 
pany, New  York. 

The  Invisible  Playmate,  William  Canton.  Dodd,  Mead  & 
Company,  New  York. 

The  Secret  Garden,  Frances  Hodgson  Burnett.  Charles 
Scribner's  Sons,  New  York. 

The  One  I  Knew  the  Best  of  All,  Frances  Hodgson  Burnett. 
Charles  Scribner's  Sons,  New  York. 

Days  of  Discovery,  Bertram  Smith.  E.  P.  Dutton  &  Com- 
pany, New  York. 

Hebrew  Life  and  Times,  Harold  B.  Hunting.  The  Abing- 
don Press,  New  York. 

A  Brief  Pilgrimage  in  the  Holy  Land,  Caroline  Hazard. 
Houghton  Mifflin  Company,  Boston. 

The  One  Volume  Bible  Commentary,  J.  R.  Dummelow.  The 
Macmillan  Company,  New  York. 


